winter break
by RedEchoMe
Summary: But he could feel those green eyes trained on his back, awaiting, like Tenya-who was eagerly asking all of his classmates of their plans-for his answer. "Home," he had said, trying to keep the weight out of his voice. It was a simple enough answer, but he could feel it. The air between him and Midoriya constricting with the knowledge of what that meant.
1. Chapter 1

Todoroki Shouto, cheek pressed against the chilled windowpane, watched the snow fall silently to the unseen ground below.

It wasn't like he was putting off the inevitable-or so he told himself-he just wanted to sit by the window for a little longer. His breath fogged the glass, the circle of mist ebbing with each intake.

Maybe if he waited, if he just watched the snow fall...

He righted himself, sighing heavily through his nose as he stood, gripping the handle of his suitcase. He could see the car outside, waiting with open doors, the exhaust billowing in the frigid winter air.

One step forward, he told himself. It's only a week. One step towards his goal. Endeavor was just a stepping stone...

When asked what they would be doing for their winter break, Shouto was hesitant in answering. The tension between him and his father wasn't a secret, by any means. But the only person outside of his immediate family who had actually witnessed the crackling tension between the two had been Midoriya, who had been considerate enough to keep it to himself.

But he could feel those green eyes trained on his back, awaiting, like Tenya-who was eagerly asking all of his classmates of their plans-for his answer.

"Home," he had said, trying to keep the weight out of his voice. It was a simple enough answer, but he could feel it. The air between him and Midoriya constricting with the knowledge of what that meant.

And he could feel the words on the tip of Midoriya's tongue. But Midoriya knew they would fall on deaf ears.

 _I've dealt with it for this long,_ Shouto would say. _What's one more week?_

But there were things that Shouto couldn't say. Like how he had never had so much freedom in his life, or that he didn't feel the need to sneak to the bathroom at night. That if he saw a looming shadow rounding a corner, his first instinct wasn't to turn the other way and if he felt like wandering into the kitchen at two in the morning, who was going to stop him?

Moving into the dorms at UA had singlehandedly been the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. Before, it had just been him. He had never been around other kids his age long enough to form friendships, to socialize. He was stunted in that aspect, and he was well aware of it. He knew he was standoffish and cold. But he didn't feel the need to make an effort.

Or... before, he didn't.

But Midoriya left him yearning. He had stepped into Shouto's bubble, for just an instant, and it was an odd feeling. Because it had always been just... Shouto.

But for that one instant it had been Midoriya, too.

And maybe the boy just had that effect on people. He was genuine, to say the least, and his warmth was like a gravitational pull.

But Shouto wasn't the type to go looking for it. And he got the sense from Midoriya that he understood that.

Shouto needed space and time and Midoriya would give him exactly what he needed.

As Shouto made his way to leave the classroom, he dared a glance at Midoriya. And those green eyes, wide and determined, bore a hole right through Shouto.

And then he was gone, and he could feel the intensity of Midoriya Izuku's stare, even as the door shut behind him.

-x-

When Iida had gone around the classroom, asking everyone what their plans for winter break were, Izuku had eagerly listened to the cheerful responses.

"And you, Midoriya?" Iida had asked.

"Home!" Izuku beamed, a warmth settling into his chest at the thought of spending a whole week with his mom. He had kept in touch, calling home every other night just to hear her voice. But since moving into the dorms, homesickness had picked away at him, the memories of home cooked meals and watching trash TV while throwing popcorn at the screen another pinch in his side.

But when Iida had turned to Todoroki, Izuku paused, and he had to physically stop himself from whirling on the spot to stare.

He looked over his shoulder, staring at Todoroki's back, a heavy weight on his chest as a single word was uttered.

"Home."

Izuku tensed, memories of the Festival flashing through his mind, and he turned his body towards Todoroki, words trying to push themselves out of his mouth.

But there was a nagging somewhere in the back of his head. He knew that it wasn't his place. He and Todoroki hadn't really spoken outside of the Festival, so Izuku telling him that going right back to his father when he had the option not to was probably the _worst_ idea he'd ever heard of...

So he just stared at his receding back, biting the inside of his cheek, and when Todoroki threw a glance over his shoulder, staring right at Izuku, he said nothing.

He watched him leave. And the weight on his chest felt like it was pushing him right through the floor.

-x-

Izuku waited outside the school gates, his yellow backpack slung over his shoulder, hands stuffed in his pockets. He was lightly hopping from one foot to the other, trying to keep himself warm in the wintry night.

He kept glancing over at a sleek black car, idling beside the sidewalk, a man in a suit waiting beside the open door.

Izuku had his suspicions as to who the car belonged to, but he tried not to look over his shoulder every time the door of the school opened and a student exited the gates, despite the spike of hope that rose in his chest at the sound of footsteps.

He stepped closer to the curb when he saw a pair of headlights, the left light dimmer than the right, a familiar indicator that this was his mother's sedan. She pulled up to the sidewalk and put the car in park, throwing the door open.

Midoriya Inko rushed to him, grabbing his face between her soft hands and bringing it down to hers, planting kisses on his cheeks and forehead.

"Mom-! Agh, I missed you, too!" Izuku laughed, grabbing his mother's hands and lowering them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She threw her arms around him in a quick, bone-crushing embrace before stepping back, grabbing his duffel bag. She did a quick sweep of him, probably to make sure nothing else had been broken between now and the last time he'd seen her, Izuku figured, and her smile grew a fraction wider. "You've grown! You look so healthy, Izuku!"

Izuku scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.

Inko smiled and patted his cheek. "You all ready to go?"

Izuku nodded, and moved to hold the door open for her as she tossed the duffel bag in the back seat. She bustled around the car and was about to climb into the driver's seat when she glanced over his shoulder; Izuku followed her gaze.

Todoroki, chin tucked into his scarf and eyes trained on the ground, was pulling a small suitcase behind him. Izuku's earlier suspicions had been confirmed when Todoroki made a beeline for the sleek black car, the man still waiting beside the open door.

The man bowed, taking Todoroki's suitcase from him, and just before Todoroki slid into the car, Izuku stepped away from his mom's car and threw a hand upwards in a slightly frantic wave.

"Todoroki!" he called.

Todoroki paused and looked up, his eyes widening slightly as if he hadn't known Izuku had been there, much less why he wanted his attention.

Izuku realized he hadn't known what to say. He wanted to say something along the lines of _You should just come home with my mom and me so you'll have a peaceful winter break!_ or _Why are you going to stay with your dad when you could stay with us?_

But the words that pushed themselves out of his mouth-and he wasn't sure why he said them-were,

"Wanna hang out later this week?"

Todoroki looked frozen to the sidewalk, one foot in the car, one planted on the ground. He stared at Izuku, his face unreadable.

Seconds passed, and Izuku had started to fidget under his gaze, afraid that Todoroki would just hop in the car and leave him standing there, his mother the only witness to his shattering rejection.

But then Todoroki lowered his gaze to the ground at Izuku's feet, and gave a small nod.

Izuku had to refrain from jumping into the air, but he didn't stop the grin that spread across his face.

Todoroki's eyes flicked back to Izuku's before he lowered himself into the car, the man closing the door behind him.

Izuku turned to his mom, who was smiling back at him.

"I think that went well," she said with a wink.

Izuku could feel the heat blooming in his cheeks and he let out a nervous chuckle as he slid into the passenger seat, setting his backpack between his legs.

"I can't believe he agreed," he said, fidgeting with the strap of his backpack.

She pat his knee as she put the car into drive, glancing into the rearview mirror at the sleek black car parked behind them.

"Don't be nervous," she said, glancing at his restless hands. She gave him a soft smile.

Izuku watched the black car pull around them, leaving tracks in the snow as it drove through the gates.

He returned his mom's smile.

"You could even bring him around for dinner," she said, following the tracks that Todoroki's car had left behind.

He gave small hum, staring at the distant brake lights of Todoroki's car.

Izuku thought back to earlier, when all he had wanted to do was tell Todoroki that he didn't need to go back to his father, that he could stay with them for a whole week. Maybe just one night was a good trade-off.

Izuku pressed his cheek to the cold window, his breath leaving small circles on the glass. He watched UA shrink in the side mirror, until it was nothing but a dark silhouette in the distance.

-x-

Izuku stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars and planets stuck to his ceiling, a vague feeling of urgency and helplessness settled over him like a thick blanket.

He clutched his phone in his hand, resting beside him on his pillow. Every time he thought of Todoroki's small nod, he brought his phone close to his nose, unlocking it and pulling up Todoroki's contact info. They'd never actually texted before, and he couldn't even remember ever getting Todoroki's number.

His fingers hovered over the small keyboard, trying to think of what to say.

He tapped out a few words- _Hey it's Izuku Midoriya. I was just wondering when you-_ but paused and erased it, locking his phone and setting it on the pillow again.

First of all, it was almost one in the morning, and he didn't want to wake Todoroki up. Second, he wasn't sure what he should say or how he should say it. Todoroki had definitely agreed to hang out, even though he knew why Izuku had asked. There was no way he didn't know.

Izuku paused. What if he thought he was doing this out of pity? That definitely wasn't it. It wasn't like he felt _bad_ for Todoroki, but he just wanted to get him out from under his father's nose for a while.

He had seen the tension between the two at the festival, and he had a vague understanding of Todoroki's feelings towards Endeavor.

Knowing what he knows doesn't make him involved, in any case, but he feels... useless. If he doesn't do something to help, he feels useless.

He brings his phone up to his nose again, taps out a message, erases it. Rinse, repeat.

He sighs through his nose, resting his hand over his eyes.

Why was this so hard?

-x-

Shouto was staring at his phone, resting on his nightstand. He didn't know what he was waiting for-he knew _exactly_ what he was waiting for-or why, but he felt like staring at his phone would help.

Midoriya's words repeated in his head over and over; to the point where they didn't sound like a coherent sentence, just a wavering inflection.

He reached for his phone, unlocking it and checking his messages. He opened a new conversation and typed in _Midoriya_ , pulling up his number and typing out a message.

 _It's Todoroki-_

He erased it and pressed his screen to his forehead, closing his eyes and letting out a frustrated sigh.

He knew Midoriya was just doing this to get him away from his father. He refused to think it was out of pity; that wasn't who Midoriya was. He was well aware that Shouto could handle himself against Endeavor, but Midoriya had a genuine hero streak running through him. If he didn't do anything, even something as simple as getting Shouto out of the house for a couple of hours, he would feel useless.

Shouto sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face, leaving it over the marred skin. He was making this seem harder than it was. This definitely shouldn't make him as nervous as it was, but he couldn't keep the image of Midoriya's grin out of his head, his freckles standing out against the blush brought on by the cold.

He stared at his phone screen through the cracks in his fingers, the shiny black surface reflecting his blue eye.

He let out a frustrated sigh and dropped his phone, leaving it to disappear in the bundle of blankets he had cocooned himself in.

Burying his head in his comforters, trying to will the buzz of anxiety in his gut to go away, he missed his phone lighting up, a message bubble informing him of an incoming text.

-x-

Izuku checked his phone every two minutes, it seemed, sleep chased away by the buzzing in his ears. He had bitten the bullet and sent the text, figuring if Todoroki responded, he would wake up to a pleasant surprise.

It was going on four in the morning and Izuku felt like he had caffeine injected into his bloodstream, buzzing under his skin, electricity racing through his veins.

He felt like he couldn't keep still, tossing and turning and wiggling his legs under his covers. Trepidation settled in his stomach like a rock, seeming heavier and heavier when Izuku's screen remained blank.

 _It's four in the morning,_ he'd tell himself. _Why would he still be up?_

He rolled onto his stomach and shoved his phone under his pillow. Out of sight, out of mind.

Thirty seconds later, his phone was clutched in his hand, pressed to his nose.

He flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. _Okay, okay._ His eyes slid to his desk across the room. _Right._

He rolled out of bed and landed silently on the floor. He padded across the room, pulled the top desk drawer open, and dropped his phone inside.

Out of reach, out of mind?

He slid the drawer closed, his hands lingering on the edge of his desk.

 _No, no_ , he thought, closing his eyes and pressing his fist to his forehead. He had never, in all his life, been as panicked about a text as he was right now.

He wasn't the most adept when it came to making friends, but he liked to think he was good at communicating and keeping in touch. So why did the thought of Todoroki reading his message, _responding_ to it, make the rock in his gut triple in size?

He fell back on his bed and closed his eyes. His mom would be coming in in a few hours to wake him for breakfast, and he had promised to spend the day with her. He had to squeeze in at least a few hours of sleep.

And just as he was sinking into a restless sleep, he heard it. A muted buzz coming from his desk.

He bolted out of bed and all but leapt onto the desk, yanking the drawer open. His fingers trembled as he fumbled with his phone, quickly unlocking the screen. But he frowned when he saw it was a new email, not a text. He skimmed it and his frown deepened.

 **_From: All Might Number One Hero Number One Forum_**

 ** _To: .im .jp_**

 _GOOD DAY TO YOU DEAR,_

 _I HOPE THIS EMAIL FINDS YOU IN GOOD SPIRIT AND GOOD HEALTH? BECAUSE I AM TELLING YOU YOU HAVE WON A CRUISE WITH THE WORLD MIGHTIEST HERO ALL MIGHT! PLEASE RECONFIRM THE BELOW INFORMATION TO CLAIM AND TO AVOID A WRONG FUL DELIVEYOF YOURE TICKETS_

 _(1) YOU FULL NAMES_

 _(2) YOU PARCEL OWNER ADDRESS_

 _(3)YOU CREDIT CARD NUMBER_

Izuku rolled his eyes and pressed his phone to his forehead. He'd signed up for so many All Might forums and blogs, he'd been getting an irrational amount of spam emails.

The buzzing in his head stopped, the rock shrinking to a pebble, a whisper at the back of his head. This was crazy, he was acting like an idiot. He dropped the phone back in the drawer, closing it quietly.

Izuku padded back to his bed, grabbing the edge of his comforter, pulling it away and onto the floor. The edge of the blanket still balled in his hand, he dragged it to the living room, wrapping it around his shoulders before falling on the couch. He searched blindly for the remote, and turned the TV onto a movie channel, turning the volume down to a low white noise.

This was what he had always done when he had been riddled with nerves; the entrance exam into UA, waiting for the results, the night he had tried to save Kacchan from the sludge villain.

It was a good substitute to crawling into his mom's bed like he had when he was small, shaken to the core by thunderstorms. This time it was because he hadn't gotten a response in the dead of early morning from a classmate he barely knew to a simple enough question.

 _Hey it's Izuku Midoriya! I was just wondering when you're free this week. Just lmk!_

Izuku let out a small huff and loosened his grip on the comforter. He could see the colors of the TV screen flashing on the ceiling, interrupted slightly by the ceiling fan whirring lazily.

Tomorrow, he decided, would be dedicated to his mom. He wouldn't- _he wouldn't_ -spend all day checking his phone.

He brought the comforter to his nose, his eyelids sliding shut.

-x-

Shouto had always risen with the sun; he hated wasting time. But when he cracked his eyes open and looked at the digital clock on his nightstand- _4:28 am-_ he felt like a weight had settled over him; he wanted to waste the day away. Two minutes before his alarm went off. That means two more minutes of sleep.

When he moved to roll over, something cold and hard jabbed his side. He searched blindly under his blanket, his fingers finally grasping the cold metal case of his phone. Anticipation coiled in his stomach, but it took him a few moments to realize why, his mind slowed by sleep.

 _Midoriya_.

With the realization, his fingers tightened their grip and he jerked his hand out from under his blanket, bringing his phone close to his nose.

 _1 New Message_

He sat bolt upright, shoving his blanket away and down towards the end of the bed. He tapped on the screen, entering his password and bringing up his messages.

He read the text once, then twice, then three times.

 _Hey it's Izuku Midoriya! I was just wondering when you're free this week. Just lmk!_

Shouto ran a hand through his hair, pausing when he met resistance. Midoriya really did want to meet up this week. He stared at his phone, his steady breathing the only noise in the room.

He glanced at the time that Midoriya had sent the message and raised an eyebrow: _3:38 am._ What was he doing awake at three in the morning? Was he as nervous as Shouto had been?

He shook his head slightly, breathing out a low chuckle. Midoriya wasn't nearly as tactless at communicating as Shouto was, and shooting a text wouldn't be as nerve racking.

He bounced his phone against his hand, and then steadied it in his palm, tapping out a message. Before he let himself overthink it, he hit send.


	2. Chapter 2

When Izuku's mom had woken him up that morning, gently shaking his shoulder and a clear look of concern on her face, he had smiled and assured her it was just because he wasn't used to sleeping in his bed just yet.

It took him a moment to remember why he was so jittery, why his stomach felt tight and why he had even bothered to sleep on the couch, let alone come up with an excuse for his mom.

When he had sat up, yawning and stretching his arms high over his head, he froze. He blinked and stared at his mom for a moment, her eyebrows pulling together.

"Izu-?"

But he was already up and running, shoving his bedroom door open and falling into his desk chair, rolling it around to the drawer his phone was trapped in. He pulled the drawer open and reached for his phone, one eye closed as he pressed the home button.

 _1 New Message_

He jumped out of the chair, phone gripped tight in his hand. He unlocked his phone and scanned the text once, twice.

 _Good morning. I'm not sure when I'll be available but I'll let you know_

Izuku tapped his phone against his palm, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He paced his room a couple of times, running his hand through his tangled green curls.

He paused when he spotted his mom standing in the doorway, wringing her hands.

"Izuku...?"

He smiled, blushing slightly, and held up his phone. "He texted back..." He laughed nervously, dragging his eyes back to stare at his phone screen.

"That boy?"

"Todoroki," Izuku said, almost automatically, eyes gliding over the text again. "He doesn't know when he's free. I'm free whenever, so it doesn't really matter..." He trailed off as he started typing out a response.

"Not whenever," his mom said, her voice taking a chastising tone. "You're mine today."

"I know," he said, rolling his eyes with enough emphasis to let her know he was only kidding.

She scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out at him.

Izuku snapped a picture.

She blinked and then started to laugh.

She turned to leave, but stopped and said, "Breakfast will be ready in about thirty minutes."

"Thank you," he said, smiling. He turned his attention back to his phone and hit send.

-x-

Shouto wiped the sweat from his brow as he tipped back his water bottle, trying not to down the whole thing at once. Endeavor had been harder on him than usual, and the sting of his blows ached deeper. He cooled his hand and placed it over his side, jolting slightly at the touch. It was then that he noticed his upper forearm was red and swollen, and as he flexed his hand, pain shot through his arm, deep into his muscles.

He knew why he was acting like this. It was because of the Festival. Not only had he lost, but he had made Endeavor look bad. And his reputation was everything to him.

Shouto dropped his hand and took another swig from his water bottle. At least he would be leaving soon.

"Shouto," a deep voice boomed from behind him. Shouto turned lazily, looking on at Todoroki Enji with detached interest. He knew he shouldn't push him, but living Enji-free had made him careless, almost, and he felt like he really couldn't put much effort into holding his tongue. "You've become sloppy. You've been slacking on your regimen."

Shouto glanced away and lifted a shoulder. He hadn't been, actually. He had been completing Enji's training regimen, but also whatever Aizawa had instructed him to do.

Today, though, Shouto put less force into his strikes, opting for defense.

Enji scowled down at him, arms folded over his chest, the flames encompassing his face moving in rhythm with his heavy breathing.

"If you're to surpass All Might-"

"I know," Shouto cut in dryly, louder than he meant it to be.

Enji's eyes sparked, and he dropped his arms, stepping closer to Shouto.

"Then prove it," he growled, spreading his arms wide, leaving an opening for Shouto to strike.

Shouto held Enji's gaze, challenging him in his own way.

Enji nodded slowly and stepped back, turning away from Shouto.

And it happened in an instant. Like a switch had been flipped, a hostile energy filled the air and Shouto braced himself, already bringing his right arm up as Enji turned, flames erupting around him, rushing around Shouto, engulfing him.

Shouto was surrounded by pulsating heat, held at bay by the ice that had exploded around him. He gritted his teeth as he braced his stance, pushing himself forward into the ice that separated him and his father, edging it forward, forcing Enji back.

But Enji pushed harder, stepping forward, the ice quickly melting and reforming, reshaping with the ebb and flow of his flames. Shouto could feel the sting on his right side, patches of frost biting into his skin. As Enji grew closer, Shouto could feel his barrier shrinking.

" _Enough!_ " Shouto ripped his left arm through the barrier, a surge of heat pouring forward, ice shards flying in Enji's direction. Enji's flames were whipped away, and he was forced back by the blow, throwing his arms up to block the ice.

The room was silent, except for Shouto's labored breathing, as they stared each other down. Shouto took a step back, composing himself.

Enji dropped his arms, and his face was unreadable for a few moments, until his lips pulled back in a jarring, triumphant smile.

Shouto tensed, and watched with bated breath as Enji turned to leave.

Halfway across the room, he paused and threw over his shoulder, "I expect nothing less from the one who will surpass All Might."

The silence that filled the room as Enji left was deafening.

Shouto didn't know how long he stood there, staring at his hands, oddly calm. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so calm after fighting Enji-or if he ever had felt this way. His training sessions had always ended with him trembling, fighting down the urge to blow everything right back at his father.

Maybe...

He clenched his left fist.

And then he heard it, a muffled buzz coming from his bag, abandoned on the floor.

He bent down, digging his phone out of the bag, and sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling up the text.

 _That's fine! I'm available whenever, except for today I made plans with my mom_

Shouto looked up, glancing around the room; the ice that had shattered earlier left puddles on the floor, and there were scorch marks on the ceiling. He dragged his eyes back down to his phone, but the bruise blooming on his forearm caught his eye. He pressed his right hand over it, sighing as frost spread from his fingertips. Normally, he would be more offensive, and take less hits. He was fairly adept at dodging Enji's attacks, but today the strikes had been swifter, fiercer, the bruises deeper.

He removed his hand and the ice melted, leaving his skin numb. He glanced back down at his phone.

He quickly tapped out a reply and hit send, dumping his phone back in his bag. He stretched out across the floor, gazing up at the ceiling.

He was here to train, he thought. And it'd be easier with Endeavor gone, not breathing down his neck.

He hoisted himself off of the floor, ignoring the flashes of pain in his side and forearm, and instead made work of stretching the muscles in his legs. A five mile run was always a good distraction.

And as he was leaving, he ignored the muted buzzing come from his bag and forced himself out the door, focusing on regulating his temperature in the frigid winter air.

-x-

Izuku and his mom were stretched across the couch, enjoying some morning talk show giving the latest gossip about the top heroes, when Izuku's phone buzzed in his back pocket.

His mom excitedly pat his shoulder as he pulled his phone out, trying to nose her way in and catch sight of his screen.

"He thinks maybe tomorrow," he said, scanning the text. He stared at his phone, frowning slightly.

"What is it?" she asked, settling back into the couch, her eyebrows pulled together.

He shrugged lightly and set his phone on the armrest, giving her a small smile before turning his attention back to the TV.

"It's nothing," he says lightly.

 _I can't today either. Maybe tomorrow_

Maybe it was just Izuku being Izuku, but Todoroki's reply felt... dismissive. Maybe Todoroki didn't want to see him outside of school or maybe he just didn't want to put the effort into it. Regardless, Izuku could feel something settle over him, like a rain cloud hovering above his head.

He did his best to hide it, though, just so he wouldn't dampen the mood when he was just supposed to be enjoying his mom's company.

And when the talk show ended and she had suggested lunch, he gave an enthusiastic thumbs up and followed her to the kitchen to help, snagging his phone from the armrest.

They stood side by side, his mom hovering over the stove as Izuku chopped various vegetables, sliding them into the pot.

"So," his mom started, and Izuku paused, looking up at her.

"Yeah?"

"This Todoroki," she continued, her tone light and her head tilted to the side, her eyes trained on the pot in front of her. "Is this the Todoroki you fought against in the Festival?"

Izuku hesitated, his knife hovering over a half chopped carrot. "Um..." He brought the knife down again, forcing his gaze onto his marred hand. "Yeah, that's the one."

"He has a really powerful Quirk," she said, and she looked up at him.

Izuku glanced up. "Yeah. Endeavor's his father," he said. He paused and stared at his hand, remembering what Todoroki had said about Endeavor marrying Todoroki's mother for her Quirk. Something hot and ugly coiled in his chest at the thought, and he tightened his grip on the knife as he brought it down again.

"Endeavor?" she asked, slightly incredulous. "No wonder." She smiled.

"He's nothing like him," Izuku said without thinking.

His mom didn't say anything, but just watched him.

Izuku blinked and shook his head slightly, smiling up at her and scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"He seems nice," was all she said, before turning back to the pot. She stirred the contents around for a few moments before bumping Izuku aside, taking the knife from him and making quick work of chopping the vegetables and dumping them into the pot.

"Y-yeah, he is," Izuku said. He turned and busied himself setting the table. "I haven't talked to him much, though."

"Is that why you want him to come over?" she asked.

"Yeah," was all he said.

When they had finished eating and cleaned everything up, they found themselves back on the couch, sifting through various movie channels. When his mom found a recent release that she hadn't seen yet, she eagerly grabbed the remote from Izuku and selected the movie.

"I'll go make popcorn!" she said excitedly, even though neither of them were hungry.

As she disappeared into the kitchen, Izuku pulled his phone back out.

 _Would you be down to come over for dinner with me and my mom? :o_

Izuku took a deep breath and hit send before flinging his phone to the other side of the couch.

-x-

Sitting in the kitchen by himself, Shouto poked at his instant udon, his cheek propped in his hand. He wasn't as tired as he normally would be, after his five-mile run. He still had to complete the training regimen administered by Endeavor, but he had hours before he would come home so he wasn't worried. He figured he would drop Aizawa's regimen for the week, focusing instead on whatever Endeavor demanded of him.

That's why he came home for the week, after all.

He bit back a sigh and instead took a mouthful of udon, staring blankly out of the kitchen window. The day was dark and cold, reflecting the mood Shouto was forcing himself into.

If he really wanted to-and he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't-he could drop everything and take Midoriya up on his offer. He wasn't sure when he'd have any free time anyway-now-but he figured he'd say yes to Midoriya regardless. Make time, he'd told himself. That's how people maintained friendships, he'd noticed. Things don't just happen, you have to clear a space for people.

Not that he's had first-hand experience, but he was observant, to say the least.

But Midoriya was busy today, and-

Shouto dragged his gaze down to the slowly purpling bruise on his forearm.

He didn't want Midoriya to see this. He'd been bruised in class before, sure, but this was different. Because Midoriya would know the cause and Shouto didn't want to deflect his questions or accusations.

He was tired, he realized. Not physically but it was like a deeper exhaustion, run down to the bone.

"This was a stupid idea," he muttered to no one but himself.

He hovered over his udon, watching the sky churning different shades of gray.

 _Bzzt_.

Shouto blinked and glanced down at his phone resting beside him on the table.

He read the text and he felt his ears turn red. He didn't know why. Because Midoriya not only wanted to get Shouto away from his father, but also bring him into his home? To meet his _mom?_

Shouto's stomach flipped when he remembered the Festival, broadcast on live television, and he gripped the tabletop.

She had to hate him, right? The only reason her son's arm is damaged beyond repair is because of him, because Shouto doesn't know how to hold back, because...

He bit the inside of his cheek. What's the worst that could happen?

Shouto, with shaky fingers, typed out a short response- _Sounds good_ -and pushed all thoughts of meeting Midoriya's mother and her bludgeoning him on the spot to the back of his mind.

-x-

Izuku jolted upright with a squawk, pressing his phone to his nose.

"I-Izuku?!" his mom clutched his arm, gaping at him.

"H-he said yes!" He thrust his phone into his mom's hands and leapt to his feet, spinning to face her, one fist in the air. "He said yes!"

His mom scanned his phone, reading the message over and over. A smile spread across her face and she jumped to her feet, wrapping Izuku in a warm hug.

She let go and forced his phone back into his hands before she started pacing.

"You have to ask him what he wants! And-and oh my goodness," she placed a hand on her cheek and looked around their small apartment, "we'll have to start cleaning right away! When do you think he'll come over? Oh my, it's been so long since we've had company..." She trailed off, mumbling to herself and pacing the apartment, picking up anything that seemed out of place.

He watched her for a few moments before dropping back down to the couch, tucking his legs underneath him.

 _Cool! B) My mom wants to know what you'll want for dinner_

He tapped his thumbs against his phone, waiting for a response. He didn't actually expect Todoroki to respond right away-they've sent a few texts in the span of about twelve hours-so when his phone buzzed against his palm, he jumped slightly.

 _Anything your mom makes is fine I'm not picky_

"He says whatever is fine," Izuku calls over his shoulder.

His mom stops her pacing, her arms full of clutter, and she frowns.

"Ask him again," she says, dropping the clutter onto the couch beside him.

"He says he's not picky," Izuku replies, laughing slightly. "He said whatever you want to make."

"What do you want?" she asks.

He blinks and frowns, staring at his phone. "I don't know."

"You boys!" she presses a finger to her forehead, frowning. "I'll dig out my cookbook and we can look through it."

And she did. They hovered over the cookbook at the kitchen table, flicking through the pages. About halfway through, Izuku held his phone up, snapping a picture of him and his mom and the cookbook.

He pulled up Todoroki's messages and sent the picture with the caption:

 _Looking for recipes uou_

To which Todoroki responded:

 _uou_

His mom poked his cheek.

"You're smiling," she said, grinning. He ducked his head and set his phone aside, forcing his gaze down on the cookbook.

"Oh," he said, and he sat up, pressing his finger to the page.

They smiled at each other and his mom snapped the cookbook closed.

"Perfect!" she said.

-x-

Shouto pulled his comforter over his head, the chill in his room biting at his nose. He warms his left side a little bit, trying to trap some heat beneath the blanket.

He and Midoriya had been texting back and forth, on and off, since this afternoon, taking breaks only when Midoriya's mother had insisted he pay attention to the movie they were watching or Shouto forcing himself to resume his training. He had been lucky enough that Endeavor had been held up at work, so he could quietly slip off to bed without having to worry about another tense argument.

Shouto tapped his screen, sending another text to Midoriya, the dim light of his phone illuminating his cocoon.

 _The day after tomorrow I should have some free time. Endeavor has a conference or something that night_

A small bubble popped up, indicating that Midoriya was typing out a message. Shouto stifled a yawn; he could feel his eyelids growing heavier but he didn't want to go to sleep yet.

 _That works for us. We don't really have any plans haha_

Shouto rolls onto his other side, inhaling sharply when he used his left forearm to support himself.

 _Cooking me dinner is a plan_

 _Besides that -_-_

Shouto's lips pull up in a small smile, and before he can respond, Midoriya's sent another text.

 _It's getting late so I should get to bed zzz_

He was kind of glad Midoriya said it first; he wasn't sure he'd be able to.

 _Same here. Good night_

 _Good night Todoroki~_

Shouto stared at the text a little too long.


	3. Chapter 3

The day before Shouto was supposed to go over to Midoriya's, he had sensed a tension in the air as soon as Enji entered the courtyard. He had known that whatever held him up last night would inevitably be taken out on him the next day, but he hadn't expected to see Enji so foul, his flames burning hotter, his expression dark, angry.

Shouto braced himself and grasped at the thought of one night in another household, in another world.

Enji didn't utter a word as he stood across from Shouto, his flames the only light in the early dawn, the sky still dotted with stars.

Shouto waited; he never struck first, not when he was sparring with his father. It never really occurred to him why that was.

And then he saw it, Enji's eyes flick towards his feet, judging his stance. Enji rushed forward, but Shouto was already prepared, dodging to the side, sweeping his right hand along the ground, driving a wall of ice between them.

It was shattered in an instant, Enji's fist smashing through the solid blockade and rushing towards Shouto. He sidestepped and brought his right hand down, trying to freeze Enji's fist to the ground. It worked for a moment, and Enji paused for a beat before ripping his fist out of the ice. That was all Shouto needed as he pushed himself forward, creating a solid sheet of ice around Enji's feet, before landing a solid kick to his side, effectively knocking him off balance.

But as Enji was crashing to the ground, he reached out, and his fist clamped around Shouto's right wrist. Shouto froze for an instant, anticipating the feeling of Enji's palm searing into his flesh, before ice erupted around him, crystalline and jagged, forcing them apart with enough momentum to knock Shouto to the ground.

His heart pounded in his chest as he stared up at Enji, who towered over him, victorious yet again. His eyes flicked to his arm, aching to the bone and coated in ice, save for a large steaming circle. Blood rushed in his ears as he forced his gaze back on Enji, the sight of him sneering, ugly and triumphant, forcing a spike of hatred through Shouto's chest.

"Again," Enji said.

-x-

 _Good morning Todoroki :)_

Izuku smiled as he tucked his phone back under his pillow. He buried his face in his pillow, taking a deep breath in, then out, then in, then out.

Excitement coursed through him, making him jittery and impatient. Today, he and his mom were dedicating to cleaning the apartment, tomorrow they would go out and buy everything they needed for the katsudon.

It was a homey dish, Izuku decided, so it'd be perfect. Plus, Todoroki had said he wasn't picky. So if he didn't like it, he couldn't turn his nose up at it.

There was a soft knock on his door and his mom peeked inside.

"Izuku," she said quietly.

"I'm awake," he replied, rolling over. He sat up when he noticed she was dressed already and her hair had already been done up.

"I got called into work," she said, tucking her chin into her collar, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, bu-"

"Don't be!" Izuku sat up further, pushing his blanket away. "It's okay. I can clean up the apartment on my own." He stamped down the disappointment at losing a whole day with his mom.

She looked relieved, and smiled. "Really? That'd be great! I'll be home in a few hours, I shouldn't be too long!" She rushed in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, ruffling his already tangled hair. "Your hair's getting kind of shaggy," she said, scrunching her nose.

"It is not," he said, blushing slightly as he tried to flatten his hair.

"Okay, okay," she said, planting another kiss on his cheek. She hesitated and kissed his forehead, too. "I'll be back soon! I love you!"

"Love you, too," he said, and she rushed out of his room, closing the door behind her. He could hear the distant sound of the front door opening, closing, and then the click of the lock.

He laid back down, staring up at his ceiling. He had a busy day ahead of him.

-x-

Shouto winced as he cooled his right forearm, the skin searing as frost grew over it, the fragile crystals melting quickly against the swelled flesh.

The bruise was already forming, blooming bright across his skin. And he hated looking at it. It wasn't exactly the shape of a hand, but it was close enough that anyone could see what had happened.

It wasn't the first time Enji had bruised him, but it was the first time that Shouto had felt any malice rooted in the action. Maybe it was just whatever had happened last night, or maybe it was whatever Shouto had done. Or maybe Enji had just sensed the good mood Shouto was in and decided to ruin it.

Whatever the case, Shouto hated him for it. The fear he had felt in that instant had made him lose control, and his moves had become erratic, frantic, miscalculated.

And now he had another injury to hide.

It was almost enough to make him cancel tomorrow's plans-almost.

Sighing through his nose, he pushed his empty plate aside and reached for his phone, but the ugly purple skin of the bruise caught his eye. He held his arms out in front of him: dark bruises colored each forearm, the one on his right more prominently shaped like a hand wrapping around his wrist.

Hatred slid through his chest and coiled in his stomach, molten and volatile. Enji didn't hate him and he knew that. Shouto wasn't a person to Enji but a means to an end, a pawn in his never-ending scheme to success.

If he had known that Shouto was planning on going to Midoriya's Shouto could only imagine how Enji would react. Burn the house down, probably. Maybe the city.

This only solidified his resolve. Yes, he had come home for his break to train under his father. But he was going to do this on his terms and Enji was going out of his way to keep Shouto under his thumb, so Shouto would spin the board around.

When he leaves for Midoriya's tomorrow night, he won't tell a soul. And he would deal with the consequences when he got back.

Something coursed through Shouto, and he felt emboldened. He pushed himself away from the table, plate in one hand and phone in the other. He typed away a quick message and hit send.

-x-

Izuku tugged the dust mask away from his mouth, allowing himself to breathe fresh air. He had just finished dusting the tops of the bookshelves and was just about to move onto vaccuuming when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

It had been about an hour since he'd sent the good morning text to Todoroki, and he had honestly forgotten about it while keeping himself busy, going down the checklist his mom had made.

He already had three out of nine done, but he had opted to go for the easiest chores first, figuring they were just busywork.

He hopped off of the stepstool, pulling the mask down to his neck, and dug his phone out of his pocket.

 _Good morning. Do you have any plans today?_

Izuku glanced around the apartment and then pulled the mask back up and held the feather duster next to his face, and then he snapped a picture. He sent it to Todoroki in response.

His phone buzzed against his palm:

 _What do you have left?_

Izuku frowned slightly, mostly out of confusion. He could sense where this was going, but he couldn't fathom _why_. Todoroki had said he wouldn't have much free time, and he had begun to think one night would be too much, even. But..

 _Almost done! What's up?_

He hit send and slipped his phone back in his pocket, anticipation coursing through him.

It was a good ten minutes before Todoroki responded-he found himself fiddling with the duster and going back over the highest shelves, keeping himself occupied-but when his phone buzzed, he scrambled down the stepstool, nearly breaking his neck in the process. He fished his phone out of his pocket and fumbled with unlocking the screen, but when Izuku read the message, his phone almost slipped out of his fingers.

 _Want to meet up somewhere?_

Izuku froze on the spot.

He blinked down at his phone, clutched in his shaking fingers, trying to formulate some kind of response. Asking Todoroki to hang out this week had taken all the courage Izuku had, and here Todoroki was, asking the same exact thing. But for Todoroki, it had probably just been a passing thought that he'd put into action.

He was probably just bored, Izuku was telling himself. Needed a quick distraction from his training.

Izuku gripped his phone tighter.

 _Sure thing! My mom was telling me about this thing at the park. Want to meet there?_

It was almost an immediate response:

 _When?_

-x-

The sun was high in the sky but didn't stave off the chill in the air. Shouto had a thick scarf draped around his shoulders, his coat buttoned to his chin. He squinted his eyes against the cold sunlight, searching for a head of green curls over the mass of people crowding the park.

Midoriya had suggested they meet up at the park-an equal distance from their homes-to check out the small winter street fair, and Shouto had just said yes because he didn't have any idea where they could actually meet up and keep themselves occupied to stave off the awkward lapse in conversation. He didn't know what to expect, either, from a street fair. He'd never been to one.

"Todoroki!" A voice cut through his thoughts and he looked up, catching sight of Midoriya's head bobbing through the crowd, waving his hand in the air.

Shouto pushed forward through the crowd, meeting Midoriya halfway.

"Hey," Shouto said, tugging his scarf away from his chin.

Midoriya's cheeks were flushed pink from the chill, but his eyes were bright and shining, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I wa surprised when I got your text," he said, scratching the back of his head and letting out a small, nervous laugh. "I thought you'd be super busy with Endeavor around."

Shouto shrugged lightly, his hand gripping the strap of his bag. "He's out most of the time," he said simply.

"Oh," Midoriya said. The corners of his mouth pulled down slightly, but he was smiling again in a second, and he nodded his head towards the park. "C'mon, let's check out the fair! My mom said they had ice skating."

Shouto hesitated for a moment, but followed Midoriya through the throng of people, pushing his way through and keeping his eyes trained on Midoriya's yellow backpack.

When they reached the entrance to the fair, Midoriya glanced over his shoulder, making sure Shouto was still there. He fell in step with Shouto and smiled over at him.

"My mom used to take me here when I was little," he said, looking up at the wintry blue sky. Shouto stared for a beat too long, tearing his gaze away as they passed through the entrance and into the fair. There were rows of vendors, selling hot chocolate or small fireworks, or advertising games, trying to wave people forward.

"You guys stopped going?" Shouto asked, looking back at Midoriya.

Midoriya shrugged. "The last couple years, yeah," he said, his eyes darting from one vendor to the next, as if he were looking for something.

And apparently he found it; just as Shouto opened his mouth to say something, Midoriya grabbed his elbow and dragged him to the side, away from opposing traffic.

"Want one?" he asked.

Shouto blinked and followed Midoriya's gaze. He had pulled them over to a vendor that was selling hot chocolate, and Midoriya was looking at him expectantly.

"Uhm... yes?"

"Two, please!" Midoriya said, turning to the vendor and holding up two fingers. He fished some money out of his pocket and Shouto frowned.

"You don't have to-"

"I know," Midoriya said, looking at Shouto. "I want to." He handed the money over to the vendor, and turned back to Shouto, smiling.

 _Is he always smiling?_ Shouto thought, watching Midoriya silently.

The vendor passed two paper cups to Midoriya, who handed one to Shouto. There was a mountain of whipped cream on each and when Midoriya licked the top of his, a bit of cream stuck to the tip of his nose.

Shouto moved without thinking, lifting his hand to Midoriya's face and gently swiping his knuckle over his nose, wiping off the whipped cream.

He froze when he saw Midoriya's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, his face flushing red. Shouto blinked and turned his face away, taking a sip out of his cup. The hot chocolate was sweet, sweeter than anything Shouto ever indulged in, but it warmed him from the inside out. Or maybe that was the blood rushing to his face.

"Want to keep looking?" Shouto asked, already moving forward. His heart was slamming against his chest, but he didn't know why. He was telling himself it was because he had invaded Midoriya's personal space, touched him without asking. Midoriya had looked surprised, bewildered even. But he could have just said, "Midoriya, there's something on your nose." He didn't have to take it upon himself.

That's what he was telling himself anyway.

He looked over his shoulder to make sure Midoriya was still following him and he slowed his pace.

"Thank you," he said, holding up his cup.

"Y-yeah, no problem," Midoriya said, his voice rising a couple of octaves. Shouto could see him fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, but neither of them said another word.

The silence between them was thick and heavy, pressing down on Shouto. He took another sip of his drink.

"So..." Midoriya started. Shouto cast him a sidelong glance. "Ice skating?"

"Sure."

-x-

The skating rink was a lot smaller than Izuku remembered it, but he was eleven or twelve the last time he had come here with his mom. There were lights criss-crossing high over the rink, dim due to the time of day, and there were dozens of people all skating in the same counter clockwise direction.

They stood at the edge of the rink, leaning on the wall, finishing their hot chocolate before they rented a pair of skates.

"How's training going?" Izuku asked. He wanted to fill the silence, but he was also genuinely curious. He was praying that Todoroki wouldn't catch his underlying tone.

Todoroki watched the skaters, taking a small sip from his cup. His tongue swiped his bottom lip to catch a bit of foam from the hot chocolate. Izuku blinked and forced his gaze on Todoroki's eyes instead.

"It's fine, I guess," Todoroki finally answers, the corners of his mouth pulling down. "I don't know what I expected."

"What'd you expect?" Izuku asked, wrapping both hands around his cup and following Todoroki's gaze, watching the skaters glide lazily across the ice.

"More," Todoroki says, his brow furrowing. "He's hardly home and he won't let me go with him to scout because it's not an actual internship." His tone is sharp, bitter, and Izuku can feel a chill emanating from him.

Izuku wants to ask him more questions, prod him for anything that might give off a red flag, but before he can, Todoroki's eyes are on him and while his expression seems bored, almost, his gaze feels intense.

"Are you training at all?"

That threw Izuku off. The force of Todoroki's gaze died down, and Izuku was getting the feeling that Todoroki was trying to steer the conversation away from Endeavor. He felt a pang of guilt and swallowed, deciding to follow his lead.

"Er, no, not really," he said, red creeping to his cheeks. "My mom and I have just been watching TV. Today's the first time I've left the house in three days." He smiled sheepishly and ducked his head. He hadn't really planned to stick to a training regime on his break. Sure, he'd still do a daily workout-he'd kept up with it so far-but he wasn't training as intensely as Todoroki was.

Todoroki hummed in response, and when Izuku looked over, he could see a small smile pulling at his mouth.

Izuku blinked.

Todoroki brought his gaze to Izuku's and held it.

"You ready?" Todoroki asked, pushing himself off of the wall.

"For what?" Izuku asked, dazed almost.

He'd made Todoroki Shouto smile, for just a brief moment.

He wondered what it would feel like to make him laugh.

"Ice skating?" Todoroki prompted, lifting an eyebrow.

"R-right!" Izuku pushed off of the wall, and they made their way to the skating rink entrance.

After they had gotten their skates, they sat on a bench near the entrance, lacing the skates onto their feet. They both struggled, Izuku moreso than Todoroki, but they finally managed. They helped each other up off the bench, each using the other for support, and they wobbled to the entrance.

"It's been forever since I've done this," Izuku started, casting a wary glance at the ice, "so if I eat it, you can't laugh."

Todoroki shrugged. "I've never done this," he said.

Izuku blanched, snapping his head up to stare at Todoroki. "Why didn't you tell me? We could've done something else..."

Todoroki shook his head, and Izuku saw another small smile ghosting his lips. He swallowed thickly.

"If I didn't want to, I would've said no," Todoroki said simply.

Izuku was about to spout another retort when Todoroki shrugged.

"Besides," he started, putting one foot forward onto the ice, "I skate without skates, right? How hard can this be?"

The confidence in his voice almost fooled Izuku-almost.

Just as Todoroki pushed himself forward, Izuku lurched after him, grabbing his arm with one hand and the wall of the rink with the other. Just in time, too, Izuku realized, as he saw Todoroki's left foot slide out from underneath him. But Todoroki's reaction time was faster than Izuku's, and he was already regaining his balance with his right foot, a sheen of smooth ice spreading from the skate, freezing it in place.

Todoroki wobbled and he reached for Izuku's other hand instinctively. Izuku released the wall and helped steady Todoroki, holding both hands in his, his feet shoulder-width apart, keeping him balanced.

"I think," Todoroki started, staring down at his skates, his brow furrowed in concentration, "this is harder than I thought it would be."

Izuku bit his lip, trying to keep himself from laughing. It was only partially successful, because his shoulders started shaking.

Todoroki looked up, his cheeks red, and Izuku stopped laughing, expecting Todoroki to become angry or irritable.

But Todoroki chuckled under his breath and loosened his grip, righting himself, but still holding onto Izuku.

And suddenly, Izuku was all too aware of how close they were. He could count Todoroki's eyelashes, his breath tickled his nose, and Izuku felt like his heart was in his throat.

"Want to try moving?" Izuku forced the words out, and they sounded breathy, even to his own ears.

Todoroki hesitated, and then nodded, glancing back down at his feet. He wiggled his right foot, breaking the ice loose, and slid his feet back and forth slowly, trying to find his footing.

Izuku found it was easy to skate again, even after so many years. He pulled Todoroki along, moving slowly at first, instructing Todoroki on how to angle his skates to stop or how to push the skate outwards, giving him the momentum he needed. They were slower than the other people in the rink, but no one paid them any mind. Beginners hugged the rink wall, anyway, and they weren't the only ones slowly creeping around the edge of the ice.

"You ready to try on your own?" Izuku asked, loosening his grip on Todoroki's hands-warm beneath his fingertips-and edging away slowly.

Todoroki nodded, staring at Izuku's hands as he slowly pulled away, and then he was standing on his own. He pushed forward once, twice, three times, and he was gliding across the ice-albeit very slowly-on his own.

Izuku cheered, pushing himself forward, skating beside Todoroki, keeping up with his pace.

"See, it's not so bad," Izuku chimed, and he pushed a little harder, trying to skate ahead of Todoroki. He spun around in a wide arc, coming to Todoroki's other side.

"Show off," Todoroki mumbled, no bite to his words.

"This is really fun," Izuku said, slowing to Todoroki's speed. "I should bring my mom back here later this week. Actually, I was-"

He didn't get to finish his train of thought, as his left skate got caught behind his right, and he pitched forward, the ice rising to his face rapidly.

Something yanked at the back of his jacket and he was swung around, his chest slamming into something solid, and then he was falling in a mess of limbs. Izuku landed on something softer than the ice, and was met with a resounding _"oomph!"_

He blinked, several times, trying to regain his senses. His nose was buried in something soft, smelling faintly of strawberries, and he instinctively took a deep breath, inhaling the scent.

"Um."

Izuku's heart stopped. He took in the situation rapidly: he had landed on Todoroki, he was still on Todoroki, he was smelling his hair.

He leapt off of him, scrambling backwards, apologies tumbling out of his mouth. His face was hot, and he could feel sweat starting to bead at his temple.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry-" his back hit the rink wall, his skull met with a resounding _crack_ , and he clutched the back of his head, wincing.

Todoroki sat up slowly, dazed, and stared at Izuku.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching a hand out.

Izuku pressed his back to the wall, hands flying to his face, clamping over his mouth.

"Midoriya...?" Todoroki furrowed his brow, frowning.

Izuku's eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at Todoroki, as he lowered his hands and squeaked out, "I'm fine."

"You don't-" Todoroki stopped himself, and shook his head slightly. He contemplated Izuku for a few more moments-a few long, agonizing moments-before dropping his hand. He pressed his hand to the ice and pushed himself up, regaining his balance rather quickly. He was a fast learner, Izuku noticed. But he wasn't surprised.

Izuku followed suit, but used the wall to pull himself up. He was trembling, heart slamming against his ribcage, but he managed to keep himself steady enough to follow Todoroki to the exit, practically collapsing onto the damp grass. Todoroki sat next to him, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, but Izuku forced his gaze downwards, focusing on the laces of his skates.

He kept tangling his shaking fingers in the laces, and when he tried to tug them free, Todoroki's hand reached out, nimble fingers loosening the knots.

"Thanks," Izuku said, briefly glancing at Todoroki. When their eyes met, his breath hitched and he froze for a splitsecond, like a deer in the headlights.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Todoroki asked, frowning.

"U-um..." Izuku waved his hand and laughed nervously, turning his attention back to his skates. "I'm fine, I'm fine. You cushioned my landing, anyway..." He trailed off and swallowed thickly.

"Yeah, but you're-"

"Are you? Okay, I mean," Izuku said, cutting Todoroki off and shooting another glance his way.

"Yeah," was all he said.

"Sorry," Izuku mumbled. "For falling on you."

"It was a joint effort," Todoroki snorted. Izuku relaxed minutely, then.

"Want to grab something to eat?" Izuku asked, tugging the skates off and setting them aside.

Todoroki stood, skates in hand, and held a hand out to Izuku. Izuku took it and Todoroki helped him up off the ground.

"Sounds good," he said.

-x-

They sat at a picnic table, steaming bowls of yakisoba in front of them. Shouto watched Midoriya pick at his noodles, and he glanced up every now and then, locking eyes with Shouto.

Shouto could sense that Midoriya had a question on the tip of his tongue, but something was keeping him from asking it. Todoroki wouldn't push it, though. He suspected Midoriya would ask it before their time was up.

And Shouto was correct in assuming so, because when they dumped their trash in a bin and made to leave, Midoriya hesitated.

"Um... Todoroki?"

"Mm?" Shouto looked over at Midoriya, who was fidgeting with his backpack straps.

"Why did you ask to meet with me today?" Midoriya asked, finally bringing his gaze back to Shouto's. Shouto tensed. "I'm not saying I didn't want to! I mean, I just thought you were super busy all week and maybe even making the time to go over to my house tomorrow would've been a hassle! I just, it was out of the blue and I'm not saying I didn't have fun, I did! But I was just-"

Shouto blinked owlishly at Midoriya. "I wanted to get out of the house," he said simply, halting Midoriya's frantic rant.

"Oh," Midoriya exhaled, running a hand through his curls-his scarred hand, Shouto noted.

Shouto watched Midoriya for a moment, trying to choose his next words carefully.

"I didn't-" He stopped himself and frowned.

"Yeah?" Midoriya pressed, his eyebrows pulling together slightly.

Shouto took a deep breath and gripped the strap of his bag tighter. "It's nothing," he says finally, shaking his head. He bit the inside of his cheek and kept his gaze forced on the ground. "We should head out. I need to get home soon."

Midoriya looked like he wanted to say something else, but he stopped himself, giving Shouto a weak smile and nodding.

"Yeah."

-x-

The walk to the train station was quiet, but not tense or awkward. It was a peaceful kind of silence, spent reflecting on the afternoon. The sun warmed them against the chilly breeze that had picked up, and they both pulled their jackets tighter, Todoroki tucking his chin into his scarf.

Today had been unexpected, to say the least. But welcoming, Izuku decided. He was just wondering if he should tell his mom or not when Todoroki's phone started to buzz in his pocket.

Something cold struck through Izuku's chest as Todoroki slowed to a stop, digging his phone out and staring at the screen.

Todoroki waited for it to stop ringing before slipping it back into his pocket. He looked up at Izuku and gave a small shrug.

"I went for a run," he said lightly. He started walking again and Izuku stumbled, briskly walking forward to match his pace again.

"Is it going to be okay?" _Are you going to be okay?_

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Todoroki said. He sighed slightly and tilted his head up, watching the clouds. Izuku studied him, his eyes lingering over his scar. Izuku waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. Neither of them spoke until they reached the train platform, Todoroki's train arriving first.

"I had fun today," he said, before stepping onto the train and giving Izuku a small wave. "Thanks."

"See you tomorrow?" Izuku asked.

Todoroki turned towards him, giving a small nod, and there it was again. He was smiling. The doors closed and Izuku watched his train pull away, trying to ignore the tickle in his chest.

-x-

When Shouto stepped over the threshold, he half expected Enji to come charging at him, full throttle. But the house was dark and silent, leaving an empty feeling in his chest. Fuyumi had been out of town on business, leaving the entire house to Shouto.

After being with Midoriya all day, he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, but now that he was back in this house, under Enji's shadow, it was back. Omnipresent and dark, it weighed him down, and he felt like he was dragging himself across the floor as he headed for his room.

After he changed his clothes, he sat on the edge of his bed, his phone clutched in his hand. He tapped it against his palm idly, staring at the wall.

Midoriya's flushed face, eyes wide and panicked, flashed in his mind. The feeling of his nose pressed into his hair, the smell of his shampoo...

Shouto's heartrate quickened, and he swallowed thickly. Today had been... unexpected, and weird. He honestly wasn't sure what he was expecting but it wasn't ice skating.

He smiled to himself, falling back on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He brought his phone to his nose and tapped out a message, hitting send.


	4. Chapter 4

Izuku was balled up under his comforter, his phone close to his face. A small smile, which grew a fraction wider when a new message popped up- _You fell on me. Why are you complaining?-_ had been stuck to his face all evening.

His mom had noticed, but she didn't ask and instead, had helped finish up the chore list. Izuku had his suspicions that his mom knew _something_ had happened that day, but he was grateful that she hadn't pried.

They had planned to get an early start the next day to get the groceries needed for dinner, and he would probably tell her then. Maybe. But he also wanted to keep his afternoon with Todoroki to himself. He wasn't sure why but the thought made him happy, to think that this was his own little secret. He could feel his cheeks grow warm at the thought.

He typed out a response to Todoroki's message- _Remind me to never go ice skating again-_ and flipped over onto his other side.

He could feel his eyelids growing heavier and heavier, but he didn't want to be the one to end the conversation. But he also didn't want to accidentally fall asleep on Todoroki.

 _Didn't you want to bring your mom ice skating?_

Izuku snorted.

 _She's not a safety hazard tho she knows what she's doing_

 _:/_

Izuku pressed his hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh. When a yawn broke through, though, he decided it was time to call it quits.

 _Ok my mom and I are going shopping pretty early tomorrow so I'm gonna hit the hay. Goodnight Todoroki :)_

 _Goodnight_

Izuku locked the screen and tucked his phone under his pillow, a smile still tugging at his lips.

It felt like his eyes had been closed for three seconds, maybe, when his mom knocked on his door, cracking it open.

"Izuku, honey, you up?" her soft voice sounded so loud in his room.

He cracked one eye open, his gaze sliding from the window, sunlight streaming through the cracks in the curtains, to his mom, dressed and ready to go.

"I'm up," he croaked, sitting up slowly. He pushed his blanket aside and rubbed one eye, looking back at his mom. "Did I sleep in too late?"

"I just didn't want to wake you yet," she said, waving her hand absentmindedly. "We still have plenty of time."

"I'll start getting ready," he said, reaching his arms overhead, stretching his back. She left, the door closing with a soft click. He ran a hand through his hair, giving up when he met resistance, and gazed around his room for a moment. He reached under his pillow and pulled out his phone.

 _Good morning_

It was from Todoroki. Izuku smiled and sent a quick response.

 _Good morning !_

He tossed his phone into the bundle of blankets and practically leapt out of bed, filled with a vigor he hadn't had moments before.

He told himself it was because he was excited to go grocery shopping with his mom. Because what else would make him this excited to jump out of bed so early in the morning?

He threw on some clean clothes and rushed to the bathroom, making quick work of brushing his teeth and yanking a comb through his hair.

"I'm ready!" he called from the bathroom, tugging the comb through his hair one last time.

"Alright!" came his mom's voice from the living room. "Let's mosey!"

When they arrived at the grocery store, his mom pulled out the list-a relatively short grocery list for a relatively simple recipe-a look of fierce determination on her face.

As they journeyed through the store, his mom pointing at things on the shelf, Izuku dropping them into the basket, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out and checked the message.

 _What time should I head over?_

Izuku balanced the basket on his hip, the thin metal handles digging into the crook of his elbow.

 _Whenever_

He knew Todoroki would roll his eyes at his answer, and he was right when Todoroki responded with nothing more than:

 _:/_

Izuku bit his lip, suppressing his grin, and tapped out a reply.

 _Anytime after 3 is probably good. Also_

He turned and waved his mom over, holding his phone out in front of him. He made sure to get the produce section behind him before snapping a picture, his mom grinning over his shoulder. He sent the picture and dropped his phone back in his pocket.

"Is that everything?" his mom asks idly, sorting through the handbasket, her eyes darting over the list. "You ready to go?"

"Just one more thing!" Izuku says, scanning the signs above the aisles. "I'll be right back!" He started down the aisle, his eyes roaming up and down the shelves. When he spotted what he was looking for, he grabbed the cheapest box and tossed it into the basket.

When he returned to his mom's side, she glanced into the handbasket, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Hot chocolate?" she asks, looking back up at him.

"It's perfect hot chocolate weather," Izuku says, shrugging lightly, furiously fighting the blush creeping up his neck.

"Alright, _now_ are we ready to go?" she asks, folding the grocery list up, giving him a knowing smile.

What she knew, though, Izuku wasn't sure.

He nodded and followed her to the checkout lanes.

When they left, Izuku's arms weighed down with grocery bags, he could feel his phone buzz in his back pocket again. He struggled to maneuver the bags around, but he was finally able to pull his phone out.

 _What's for dinner?_

Izuku debated on whether he should tell Todoroki or not, but ultimately decided he wanted it to be a surprise. He typed out a quick reply and kept his phone clutched in his hand.

 _:]_

He could feel his mom's eyes on him, but he didn't meet her gaze, and instead kept his eyes trained on the sidewalk in front of them.

"Is that Todoroki?" she finally asked. There was an underlying tone to her voice, but Izuku couldn't place what it was.

"Yeah," he said, hefting one of the bags in his hands. His right hand was starting to ache, but he was doing his best to ignore it.

"You two have been talking a lot," she said, nodding down at his phone.

Izuku didn't really know what to say to that, so he gave a small hum as a response. He didn't fight the small smile pulling at his lips though.

"That's a good thing," she says. Izuku meets her gaze then, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm happy for you. This school has been good for you, so far." She paused. "Well, mostly." She glanced at his right hand and let out a small, nervous laugh.

Izuku reflexively tightened his grip on the bags in his right hand, the ache growing stronger.

"Yeah," he said quietly, his gaze wandering back down to the sidewalk.

-x-

 _Does that mean it's supposed to be a surprise?_

Shouto collapsed onto his bed, his phone tumbling out of his hand and disappearing into his comforter. His left arm ached, the healing bruise aggravated in today's sparring lesson. He wrapped his right hand around his left forearm, numbing the bruise there.

Today's sparring session had been more taxing, and he felt drained. Enji hadn't let up, and Shouto was relying too much on defense, dodging as best he could but blocking the attacks when he was pressed to do so. He knew what Enji wanted from him: to use his left side. But he was unsure of the power he could wield and he was unsure of himself.

He rolled onto his side and reached blindly for his phone, his fingers brushing against the cool metal. He rested his hand there, and didn't move, instead letting his eyes slip shut.

Shouto was on the verge of conciousness, everything hazy and warm, when his phone buzzed, jarring him awake. He pulled his phone closer and checked the message. It wasn't from Midoriya but from his father.

 _Come downstairs_.

Shouto frowned. Enji should be gone by now.

But he did as the message requested, and dragged himself out of bed, taking a leisurely pace downstairs.

When he reached the landing, he could see Enji's shadow cast along the hallway, waiting in front of the open front door. Shouto stopped on the last step and waited.

"Where were you yesterday when I called?"

Shouto had been expecting this. Or, actually, he had been expecting this sooner. When Enji had come home last night and left the issue unaddressed, Shouto knew something was going to happen. Enji had always been a ticking time bomb, and Shouto could always tell when something was going to set him off.

"I went for a run," Shouto replied, his voice flat. He recalled saying the exact same thing to Midoriya the day before. At the thought of Midoriya, of yesterday and how clandestine it had been, he felt empowered, all of a sudden. He had something that Enji didn't know about and it made him giddy, almost.

"You could have called me back," Enji said, his voice even.

"Didn't have the time," was all Shouto said. He gazed at his father, his expression neutral. The tension in the air was thick and heavy, but Shouto didn't feel oppressed by it.

Enji studied him, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, Shouto had to physically stop himself from snorting.

"You're not to leave the house today," Enji said, his words clipped. He turned and made to leave, but stopped himself and looked over his shoulder. Shouto expected another command that he would shrug off, but Enji didn't speak. He just gazed at Shouto and then clicked his tongue, ducked through the doorway, and he was gone.

Shouto exhaled slowly. That went better than he thought it would have.

When he made to go back upstairs, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced down at the screen.

 _Yes. And you can't complain about it either you said you weren't picky -3-_

Shouto snorted.

 _I won't bite the hand that feeds me_

Midoriya was quick to respond.

 _I don't think my mom would appreciate that_

 _I didn't mean it literally_

 _I'm not saying my mom could take you BUT..._

 _I'm not going to fight your mom_

Shouto paused and then tacked on:

 _She'd probably win_

-x-

Two hours before Izuku was supposed to meet Todoroki at the train station, his mom had him scrubbing the kitchen counters-again. They had wiped down the entire apartment three times in the last hour, or at least it felt like it to Izuku, but if his mom saw even a speck of dust, he was on it, scrubbing it into oblivion.

Izuku had been fighting down nervous energy all day, and he wasn't sure if his mom was trying to keep him distracted by deep cleaning the apartment repeatedly, but he was grateful for it. He wasn't sure what he had planned on doing all day, waiting for Todoroki.

At the thought of Todoroki, his heart rate jumped, and he scrubbed down on the kitchen table harder, picking at a stain in the wood that had probably been there longer than he'd been alive.

"And I'll try to have dinner ready by the time you both walk in the door, but I'm not making any promises," his mom chortled, swiping a dishrag across the countertop. "But if it's not ready, you guys can watch a movie while you wait. Izuku?"

Izuku looked up, blinking owlishly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing, wringing the dishtowel around her fingers.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Izuku was quick to respond-too quick. At her look, he sighed and slid into a dining chair, dropping his forehead down onto the table-another spot he'd have to clean. "I'm just nervous."

She seated herself in the chair next to him, and started running her fingers through his hair. "I know," she said, her voice soft. "You've been nervous since you got back."

Izuku wanted to tell her about yesterday, about ice skating and falling on Todoroki and being _so close_ to him-maybe not that part-and that's why he was so full of nervous energy. But he wasn't sure _how_ to. He knew she'd listen, she was always there to listen when there was something he wanted-or needed-to say.

So he was going to try his best.

"It's just..." He closed his eyes and tried to think of how to phrase his thoughts, exactly. "It's different. If it was Uraraka or Iida, it'd be... different. But it's different _this_ way because it's him."

"This way," his mom repeated, and Izuku was glad at the warmth in her voice, how her hand didn't stop moving through his hair.

"We've hardly spoken before," Izuku said, voice muffled by the table.

"You're speaking plenty now," she said, and Izuku could hear the smile in her voice.

"Yeah," he said, his cheeks heating.

They were quiet for a while, Izuku staring at his hands beneath the table, his mom absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair. Izuku flexed his right hand, the scar tissue warping with every movement.

He wanted to say something to break the silence, but he wasn't sure what. And before he could take the chance, his mom stopped stroking his hair and patted his head, pushing herself up from the table.

"You'll do fine," she said, and her tone was firm. "If you've been talking this much, there's nothing to worry about. Besides, I'll keep you occupied until you have to leave. The carpet needs a little more attention, don't you think?"

Izuku lifted his head from the table, looking up at his mom.

"Yeah," he said, feeling some of the nervous energy peel away. He pushed himself away from the table and wiped it down again, scrubbing at the spot where his forehead was pressed to the wood.

His mom stayed in the kitchen while he moved to the hall closet, digging the vacuum back out.

She was absolutely right. If he hadn't scared Todoroki off by now-he cringed when he remembered his nose buried in Todoroki's hair, the faint smell of his shampoo...-then there really was nothing to worry about.

At least, that's what he was telling himself as he pushed the vacuum back and forth across the carpet, forcing the nervous energy back down.

The second he finished this task, his mom assigned him another one, and so it went like that for the next couple of hours; she kept his hands busy in an attempt to distract him. But he was still jittery, glancing at the clock every couple of minutes, time moving by too slowly and all too quickly.

As he was about to wipe down the coffee table-again-his mom called his name from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" he called back, tossing the rag aside and heading for the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be heading out soon?" she asked, turning from the cutting board to frown at the clock on the wall.

He followed her gaze and nodded, starting to fidget with his hands.

"I guess I should, huh?" he asks, chuckling nervously.

She looked back at him and smiled. "He's probably just as nervous as you are," she said, turning back to the cutting board, expertly dicing an onion. "If not more so."

Somehow, Izuku doubted it.

After he had grabbed his backpack and his keys, he headed for the door, slipping on his shoes.

"I'll be back!" he called over his shoulder, tapping the toe of his shoe on the ground.

"Dinner should be ready when you get back!" her voice rang from the kitchen.

"Okay!" He pulled the door open and was about to close it behind him when he stopped and poked his head back in. "Thank you!"

There was a beat of silence before she called back, "You're welcome!"

The walk to the train station helped ease Izuku's nerves, the brisk, quiet afternoon the perfect time to reflect. He didn't pass many people on the street, probably because it was so cold out, and he was grateful for it. He needed a bit of time to collect himself.

He waited on the platform, lightly hopping from one foot to the other. Todoroki Shouto was going to his home, to eat dinner with him and his mom. The thought was so surreal, but he liked stringing those words together. Because it didn't seem like it was real but it _was_.

He stopped moving when he heard the intercom announce the train's arrival. He took a deep breath and watched as the train pulled in, slowing to a stop, the breeze ruffling his hair.

The doors slid open but only a few passengers got off; Izuku spotted Todoroki right away, but Todoroki didn't see him. He was looking in the opposite direction, and Izuku was about to call out to him but his mouth had gone dry. Instead, he stepped forward and reached a hand out, lightly tapping Todoroki's shoulder.

Todoroki turned and when he saw Izuku, he smiled. It was small, so, so small, but it was _there_. Izuku grinned.

"It's good to see you, Todoroki," Izuku said, beaming. He could feel his cheeks growing warm but he would just blame it on the bite in the air.

"You too," Todoroki replied. He had one hand gripping his bag, the other in his coat pocket.

"C'mon, dinner's probably ready by now," Izuku said, tugging on the elbow of Todoroki's coat, heading out of the train station.

-x-

Stepping into Midoriya's house was... jarring, for Shouto. The moment he passed over the threshold, the whole atmosphere felt _warm_.

"We're back!" Izuku called, and there was a clatter from what Shouto guessed was the kitchen, and Midoriya's mom rushed around the corner, her cheeks red.

"You must be Todoroki!" she exclaimed, and everything went dark as he was wrapped in her arms. The simple, caring gesture threw Shouto into a state of shock. But the next words out of her mouth threw him for a loop. "It's so nice to finally meet you! Izuku's been talking about nothing else but you, it seems, for the past few days!"

When she stepped back, Shouto's eyes slid over to Midoriya, who was _burning_ red, one hand clamped over his mouth.

"M-mom," he whispered through his fingers, mortified. His voice was small but his eyes were wide.

A smirk pulled at the corner of Shouto's mouth. Midoriya's blush deepened.

"Oh, please!" Midoriya's mom said with a flippant wave of her hand, heading back to the kitchen. "We've both been excited! It's been so long since we've had company, so pardon the mess."

Shouto toed off his shoes and set his bag down, following her out of the hallway, tugging on the sleeve of Midoriya's coat to pull him along. He glanced around for whatever mess she had been referring to. The place was _spotless_ , floor to ceiling, not even a speck of dust.

Shouto remembered the picture Midoriya sent him, Midoriya holding up the duster, and it warmed his heart a little bit to know they had done this for him.

"Sorry," Midoriya said sheepishly, fidgeting beside him. He nodded towards his mom, who was busying herself at the table.

"I like her," Shouto said, giving Midoriya a small smile. He moved forward then, and cleared his throat gently. "Do you need any help with anything?" He had to ensure he made a good impression-the image of her, soft and short, beating him into the ground flashed before his eyes-considering the results of the Festival. And the resulting damage.

At his words, she turned slowly and Shouto could've _sworn_ he saw the beginnings of tears in her eyes. She blinked rapidly and pressed a hand to her cheek, her smile spreading wider.

"You can help by sitting at the table," she started, pulling a chair away from the dining table and patting it, "because dinner's ready!" She bustled off to the kitchen, and Shouto could hear her mumbling excitedly.

Shouto slowly took a seat and then looked up at Midoriya, who was still fidgeting.

As their eyes met, Midoriya jolted and quickly pulled out a chair, falling into it beside Shouto.

Shouto couldn't fathom why he'd be nervous-maybe he thought Shouto didn't want to be here? Maybe he thought Shouto was looking down his nose at their small apartment. More than likely, it was because of what his mom had said, but he didn't see why he should be so nervous about that.

As they sat in silence, Shouto gazed around the apartment, at all the homey touches-the pictures on the walls, the flowers on the table, the handmade crafts adorning the shelves-and he felt a pang of jealousy. There weren't any pictures of him as a young child hanging on the walls, or pictures he'd drawn taped to the fridge. Shouto's home was the skeleton of what it should be. His father had one picture of Shouto and his siblings in his office at work, but Shouto knew it was for show, more than anything. To maintain the falsehood of a happy family.

But here, in this home, he felt nothing but love emanating from these two. It was strange but Shouto could feel himself cozying into it, into the very notion of a happy home. He'd let himself feel this content tonight, he decided.

"Thank you," Shouto found himself saying. He probably should've waited until the end of the night, when it seemed more appropriate. But Midoriya just blinked up at him and smiled, nodding his head once.

"I'm glad you could make it," he said, leaning back into his chair. "We were kind of worried you'd get held up."

"Regardless," Shouto said, picking at the table runner idly, "I would've been here." He just said what he knew to be true. Nothing could have kept him from this feeling, from being here in this home surrounded by love, even if it wasn't for him. Even if he had no idea of it, he was glad he left the house. He idly thought about his phone sitting on his bed and his chest tightened a bit.

Midoriya's cheeks reddened and he smiled down at his hands.

-x-

Conversation over dinner never stopped, and Izuku couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so content.

When his mom had brought out the katsudon, he kept a weary eye on Todoroki. But Todoroki thanked them for the food and didn't put his chopsticks down once. Izuku swelled with pride a bit, at that.

"And you should've seen Aizawa," Izuku said around a mouthful of rice and egg. "He turned Kacchan's Quirk off just like _that_ ," he snapped his fingers, "before he could even get a good hit in."

His mom wrinkled her nose. "I'll bet he loved that," she said. Her tone was a bit tense and Izuku felt the shift in the room, however slight, at the mention of Katsuki. Luckily, Todoroki sensed it, too.

"It's the weirdest feeling," he started, his eyes on Izuku and sliding down to stare at his hand, "to have your Quirk just shut off."

Izuku nodded earnestly. "It's like trying to move your arm but it just doesn't."

"Spooky," his mom said, shuddering for dramatic effect.

"Not really," Todoroki said with a shrug.

Izuku disagreed but he just let out a small laugh.

"So," Izuku's mom started, setting her empty bowl aside, "how's your break going, Todoroki?"

Izuku shoveled the last of his food into his mouth, trying to keep himself from staring at Todoroki.

There was a beat of silence before Todoroki said, "It's been pretty boring up until now."

Izuku set his bowl down and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. That was good, right?

"Has Endeavor been keeping you busy?" Izuku's mom asked.

Izuku's eyes flitted from her to Todoroki. Todoroki met his gaze for a second and Izuku tensed.

Todoroki set his chopsticks in his empty bowl and nodded, breaking his gaze from Izuku, looking back across the table at Izuku's mom.

"Yeah, mostly physical training," he said. "I was doing Aizawa's assigned training and Endeavor's while we were at school, but I wanted to focus more on endurance training over break."

Izuku had noticed that Aizawa's training had focused more on Todoroki's weaknesses in combat, but that's what Aizawa liked to focus on. He wondered idly what Endeavor's training regime was like.

"That's a lot of work," his mom said, a touch of awe in her voice. She glanced at Izuku and smiled, and he had no doubt she was remembering his months of training before the entrance exam.

"Todoroki's always working hard," Izuku says, grinning at Todoroki.

Todoroki's ears turn slightly red. "So are you," he sputters. He sounded a bit taken aback.

"Everyone at UA is," Izuku's mom says matter-of-factly. "You've all got your sights set so high."

They pondered on that for a while.

Silence settled on the table then, but it was comfortable. The kind of easy silence after a good meal and pleasant company. The only sound in the apartment was the distant thrum of the heater.

-x-

After a while, Midoriya's mom clapped her hands together and stood, coaxing her fingers in the air. Shouto lifted an eyebrow, wondering what she was doing, until his bowl lifted off of the table and started lazily drifting towards her hand.

She caught his look and laughed sheepishly, pressing a hand to her cheek. "Sorry! I'm so used to doing it, I don't even think about it," she said, grabbing the bowl. "It's not a very fancy Quirk, but it's useful, anyway."

Midoriya grinned at his mom. "I always thought it was the coolest Quirk," he says. "I always wanted it."

Shouto could've sworn he saw something like hurt flash across her face, but it was gone so quickly he was sure he must've imagined it.

"It's a great Quirk," Todoroki agrees, nodding earnestly. He wondered what kind of Quirk Midoriya's father must've had for him to end up with his own.

"Oh, bother," she says, rolling her eyes slightly, her cheeks reddening. "A Quirk's a Quirk."

"Mom," Midoriya says with a laugh.

She pauses and reaches out to ruffle his hair. "Right. Sorry."

Shouto's missing something here, he's sure of it. While he won't ask, he patiently waits for them to fill in the blanks.

Instead, Midoriya's mom gathers the rest of the dishes and heads for the kitchen. Midoriya and Shouto stand at the same time.

"We can do the dishes-"

"We'll take care of those, Mom-"

She stops and turns, eyes wide.

"If you insist," she says, shrugging. She sets them in the sink and turns, reaching for Midoriya's cheek. He squints his eyes closed as she reaches up to plant a kiss there. She reaches out with her other hand and gives Shouto's cheek a gentle pat but doesn't go beyond that. "I can get a movie started in the living room?"

"Yeah," Midoriya says, stepping aside to let her through. He looks at Shouto and shrugs, laughing. "I'll wash, you dry?"

Shouto gives him a slight eyeroll but nods, and plants himself beside the sink. Midoriya turns the sink on and dunks his hands into the water, scrubbing at the dishes, then hands one to Shouto. Shouto passes the bowl to his left hand and heats it slightly, steam emanating from the bowl. He sets it on the wire dish rack and grabs the next one Midoriya's holding out.

They create a sort of rhythm, and it's nice. Time passes slowly but Shouto's enjoying every second, that is until...

"Oh-!" A bowl slips out of Midoriya's right hand and lands in the sink, splashing soapy water all over the front of Shouto's sweatshirt. "I'm sorry, Todoroki-!"

Shouto shrugs and holds up a hand to stop Midoriya from apologizing profusely, blinking down at his sweatshirt.

"I'll grab you another one, here, take this one off-!" Midoriya runs out of the kitchen and Shouto can hear his mom call from the living room, "Izuku?"

Midoriya's back in seconds, his cheeks flushed and chest heaving, a bundle of fabric clutched in his hands. Shouto grabs the bottom of his sweatshirt and pulls it up and over his head, wrestling his arms out of the sleeves. He sets it on the counter and reaches for the sweatshirt Midoriya's holding out to him when he sees that Midoriya is frozen, his eyes wide and glued to Shouto's arms.

Shouto tenses, and he draws his arms back, but Midoriya's hand shoots out and grasps his wrist.

Neither of them say anything, and Shouto knows, he _knows_ he looks panicked. He doesn't want the accusations to start, he doesn't want Midoriya to say anything-

Midoriya lets go of his wrist and Shouto wants to pull his arms away, but Midoriya moves his hand forward and his fingers ghost over the bruise on his right forearm, his touch featherlight.

"Sit," he says, so quietly Shouto almost doesn't hear him.

Shouto sits, tense and clutching his knees. Midoriya is digging through the freezer, and when he emerges, he's clutching two ice packs. He wraps them each in a dishcloth and pulls a chair out, maneuvering it directly in front of Shouto.

Midoriya sits and he pulls Shouto's arms forward, placing his hands on his knees, and he gently presses the ice packs down-Shouto winces slightly on contact-one on each arm. The cold is soothing and painful at the same time, but all Shouto can focus on is how close Midoriya is. He can feel the heat from his hands and his breath tickles his nose. He steals a glance up, and he sees that Midoriya's frowning, eyebrows furrowed, eyes cast downward. Shouto starts counting his freckles.

They stay like that for a while, and while the room is silent, he wonders if Midoriya can hear his heart slamming against his ribs.

Shouto opens and closes his mouth repeatedly, like a suffocating fish, but he can't get a sound out, can't even form a coherent sentence in his head.

Thoughts are piling up, crashing together, trying to spill out of his mouth-" _It was just from sparring," "I've had worse, honestly," "It was my fault"_ -and he feels like his skin is on fire, like he's going to burst from the inside out.

Shouto can't stand it anymore and he finally opens his mouth to speak.


	5. Chapter 5

Ugly. That's the only word that comes to Izuku's mind when he sees the bruises burned into Todoroki's skin.

He hates Endeavor. Something molten, ugly and hot, burns in his stomach and he can't remember ever feeling this way-maybe it flashed through him at the USJ, but it was never this prominent, overbearing.

Izuku's calm, steady, his movements precise, as he grabs the ice packs from the freezer and wraps cloths around them. When he presses them to Todoroki's arms, he sees him flinch minutely. He bites his tongue but doesn't pull away.

He doesn't move, and he's putting all of his focus into steadying his heartbeat. His mind is going a mile a minute and he feels like he should be trembling, quaking to his bones, but his fingers are steady against Todoroki.

Izuku won't look at him, and it feels almost like he can't. He can feel Todoroki's eyes burning into him, but he can't meet them. He's focusing on his hands, his heart rate, counting to one hundred...

Todoroki's skin is warm beneath Izuku's fingertips, and it's grounding, almost. Todoroki's tense, but he hasn't pushed Izuku away, and he's not sure why. Izuku doesn't even know what he's doing, but when he saw the bruises, when he saw Todoroki's eyes widen with realization...

Izuku's frown deepened, his heart in throat.

He's always wanted to protect people, fight for them, but he's never felt it so strongly for any one person until now. It was overwhelming, in the cramped kitchen with Todoroki so close, but it was warring over the hatred coursing through him.

"He hasn't pushed me this hard since I was a kid."

Todoroki's voice was jarring in the silent kitchen and Izuku's head snapped up. When their eyes locked, his breath hitched in his throat, and his heartbeat spiked, creating a cacophonous rhythm in his chest.

Izuku didn't know what to say, his eyes searching Todoroki's face, lingering on his scar. He knew it wasn't by Endeavor's hand, but Todoroki wouldn't even have it if it weren't for him.

"I think..." Todoroki stopped himself and his gaze flicked downwards, at Izuku's hands. No, Izuku realized, Todoroki was only staring at his marred hand. He fought down the urge to withdraw his hand and instead tightened his grip ever so slightly. "I think it's because of the Festival."

Izuku blinked owlishly, and suddenly he remembered passing Endeavor in the hallway, the deep scowl on his face-though it seemed it was there permanently-and the heat emanating from him, his overpowering presence.

Todoroki's expression was closed off, and he didn't try to meet Izuku's eyes again.

"I should-" Todoroki started, and he was pulling his arms away from Izuku, and Izuku felt his stomach drop because he knew-he _knew_ what the next words out of Todoroki's mouth were going to be.

But before he could even protest, before Todoroki could finish his sentence, there was a noise in the kitchen doorway and they both snapped their heads up, finding Izuku's mom walking in, her purse clutched in her hands. She was digging through it, frowning.

"I was thinking," she started, and Izuku and Todoroki looked back at each other. Izuku drew back quickly, still holding the ice packs, and Todoroki swiped the sweatshirt off of the counter, burying his arms in it. "Ah-ha!" She pulled her wallet out and pulled out a couple of bills, holding them up like she'd found the Holy Grail. "I was thinking you guys could go to the store to get some ice cream."

She didn't seem to sense the tension in the room, or notice how close they had been seconds earlier. Izuku let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and looked at Todoroki, giving a small shrug and a weak smile.

"I'm down," Izuku says. Todoroki hesitates and then gives a small nod, looking away.

"Great!" she says, and she thrusts the bills into Izuku's hands. "Don't forget to bring a jacket!"

-x-

Since Todoroki's sweatshirt was still damp, he had donned Izuku's. Despite the tension between them, the thought of Todoroki wearing his clothes filled him with a certain kind of warmth. He decided Todoroki looked better in it, anyways. _Cute even,_ he thought.

They walked side by side, breathing out small puffs of mist, keeping an even distance between them. Todoroki had his hands buried in his pockets, eyes cast downward. Izuku kept stealing glances at him.

There was an unspoken question in the air, strung between them. But Izuku couldn't get himself to say it. It wasn't even a question, just a request.

 _Stay_.

It was absurd, he knew. And he knew Todoroki would probably shut it down immediately. They hardly knew each other, anyways, right?

But Izuku didn't want him to go home. The thought made his blood run cold, his palms clammy.

What had he been dealing with, since break started?

Maybe he should've put more effort into trying to get Todoroki to leave the house, to get him away from his dad.

"Sorry."

Izuku looked up, and realized Todoroki had stopped walking. He stopped and turned, opening his mouth to speak but Todoroki kept going.

"I kind of ruined tonight." He let out a quiet, harsh laugh and dragged a hand through his hair.

"You didn't," Izuku said firmly, louder than he expected to.

Todoroki looked up, studying Izuku, frowning.

"Why did you ask me to come tonight?" Todoroki asked.

Izuku's mouth went dry.

Todoroki stared at him, waiting, but Izuku couldn't find the right words. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, but he didn't know what the _right_ thing to say was, either.

"Was it out of pity?" Todoroki pressed, his voice low.

"No!" Izuku said quickly, holding his hands up in defense. "I just-" He swallowed past the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. "I didn't... I didn't want you to be stuck with your dad for your whole break."

Todoroki blinked, as if he hadn't been expecting that.

"Oh," was all he said. He stared at Izuku, and Izuku tried not to squirm under his gaze.

"My mom really likes you," Izuku said suddenly, saying the first thing that came to mind, trying to lighten the mood.

"She's nice," Todoroki said. He finally looked away and idly tapped his foot against the icy ground. "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for anything," Izuku said, stepping closer. "Tonight's been... nice." He couldn't think of a better word.

Todoroki gave him a skeptical look.

"I've had a good time!" Izuku argued, shoving his hands in his pockets. He could feel blood rushing to his cheeks but he ignored it.

"Up until..." Todoroki trailed off, staring down at the ground. Izuku followed his gaze and realized Todoroki was using his Quirk to make a layer of frost over the hard packed ice. He watched the pattern grow and spread, lacing a wide arc around his own feet.

Izuku stepped back and turned, watching the frost extend farther out, across the sidewalk and into the street.

"It's beautiful," he said without thinking. When the frost abruptly stopped, he realized what he'd said. The blush started at his neck and blew straight to the roots of his hair. He spun and faced Todoroki.

There was a dusting of pink across his cheeks and he was watching Izuku.

They stared at each other for a few quiet moments, Izuku's heartbeat in his ears.

And when a car drove by, shattering the silence, the bright headlights momentarily blinding them, Izuku blinked and looked away, scratching the back of his head and pushing his feet forward towards the store.

"U-uhm, ice cream?" he sputtered, his voice trembling slightly. When he heard Todoroki's footsteps behind him, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

-x-

They left the store, Shouto gripping the plastic bag in his right hand, and headed back to Midoriya's apartment.

There was a buzzing under Shouto's skin, and it felt like it grew louder every time Midoriya looked at him, like he had a question on the tip of his tongue but he wouldn't spit it out.

Shouto shoved his left hand in the pocket of his sweatshirt-no, Midoriya's sweatshirt. The buzzing grew louder again.

"I don't even know what movie we're going to watch," Midoriya said, trying to fill the silence with idle chatter. "I'm surprised my mom's even up still. She usually goes to bed pretty early."

"I'm surprised she liked me," Shouto said, frowning a little. "After the Festival."

Midoriya let out a squawk and waved his hands around, his face red. "That wasn't your fault and she knows that! The only one she doesn't really like is Kacchan, just because of how he's always been to me, and even if-"

Shouto blinked as Midoriya kept muttering, waving his hands around for emphasis, his face turned away. And a laugh escaped his lips. He clamped his mouth shut when Midoriya stopped and looked at him, his eyes widening a fraction.

"You're laughing at me," Midoriya said, and Shouto couldn't place what his tone was but it sounded almost... pleased.

"Only a little bit," Shouto said, and he let the corner of his mouth pull up. It was nice to feel the tension ebb out of the air around them. He liked being around Midoriya, a lot.

Midoriya smiled, then, and bumped his shoulder against Shouto's. "Good. You should laugh more."

Shouto could feel his cheeks warming but he ignored it and tightened his grip on the plastic bag.

They were quiet for a few moments before Midoriya broke the silence.

"You know what I just realized?" Midoriya asked suddenly, and Shouto looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. Midoriya gestured at the plastic bag in Shouto's hand. "It's too cold for ice cream."

Shouto let out another small laugh and Midoriya grinned, looking somewhat triumphant.

"See? It's nice when you laugh," Midoriya said, grinning.

"I laugh all the time," Shouto huffs, giving Midoriya a sidelong glance.

"I think I can count on one hand how many times I've heard you laugh," Midoriya said, raising his right hand and holding up three crooked fingers. "That was two."

"You're keeping count," Shouto deadpanned.

"If it ever reaches double digits, I'll tell you if I'm actually All Might's secret love-child," Midoriya said, his grin spreading wider.

Shouto barked a laugh then, and it cut through the night.

"Four," Midoriya said.

Shouto snorted but didn't say anything else. They were quiet for a few more moments, and Shouto was trying to think of something else to talk about, when a brisk wind picked up, and it felt like it cut right through them.

Midoriya shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing his palms over his shoulders.

"Are you cold?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya nodded. "I don't have a built-in heater like you do," he said, laughing.

Shouto thought about it for maybe two seconds before he put the thought into action.

"Here," he said, and he reached out and grabbed Midoriya's right hand with his left, letting warmth spread through his hand, starting at his fingertips and spreading up to his wrist.

Midoriya was visibly tense, his eyes wide and focused on the sidewalk ahead, but he didn't protest and he even squeezed Shouto's hand a little tighter.

Midoriya's hand was rough, and Shouto could feel the raised scar tissue against his palm. He wondered if Midoriya could feel his heartbeat, deafening in his own ears.

When they reached Midoriya's apartment building, Midoriya briefly released Shouto's hand to dig out his keys, but reached back out for it when they climbed the steps.

Shouto met him halfway and twined their fingers together. Midoriya stopped, then, a couple steps above Shouto and he turned slightly. Shouto's breath hitched in his throat and his heartbeat spiked. He thought maybe he went too far, first just holding Midoriya's hand, but then twining their fingers together and he didn't know why but it felt like it meant more that way. He swallowed thickly when Midoriya wouldn't meet his gaze. Instead he was staring down at the connection, his cheeks dusted pink, and Shouto thought he might've been smiling.

Shouto remained silent. He didn't know what was going through Midoriya's head but he couldn't be as panicked as Shouto was, right?

But Midoriya never said a word, and instead tugged on Shouto's hand, and continued climbing the stairs.

As he unlocked the front door, he let go of Shouto's hand. Shouto stopped using his Quirk and it suddenly felt too cold.

"We're back," Midoriya said, his voice soft. They slipped their shoes off by the door and padded into the apartment, only to find Midoriya's mom asleep on the couch, the menu of some movie left on the TV.

"Were we gone that long?" Shouto whispered, making his way towards the kitchen.

"No," Midoriya said, matching Shouto's volume. "But she usually doesn't stay up this late."

Shouto flicked the light on in the kitchen and idly glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already nine. He swallowed and turned towards the fridge, digging the tub of ice cream out of the bag and pushing it into the freezer. He tried not to think about the fact that Enji would be home by now.

He went back out to the living room, where Midoriya was gently shaking his mom awake.

She blinked her eyes open and gazed blearily at Midoriya.

"You guys took forever," she said, yawning.

Midoriya laughed quietly and rolled his eyes toward Shouto. "Maybe like thirty minutes."

"Long enough," she said, pushing herself up from the couch. "I'm going to go to bed. I have work in the morning." She pat his cheek and shuffled towards the hallway.

"Goodnight, Mom," Midoriya said. "Love you."

"Love you, too," she said wearily, giving a lazy wave.

"Thank you for dinner," Shouto said, figuring if he didn't say it now he wouldn't get the chance.

She paused and turned, as if suddenly remembering he was there. She smiled gently and nodded. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

Shouto's heart skipped a beat. She used the name so casually, it probably meant nothing to her. She hesitated in the hallway for a few moments, pondering over something. She seemed to make up her mind as she moved back into the living room, planting a kiss on Midoriya's cheek, and then wrapped Shouto in another hug. She stepped back and pat his cheek a couple times.

"I'm glad you were able to make it. You're welcome any time." Her voice was so genuine and sweet and warm. Shouto had been seeing so much of Midoriya's behaviour in her all evening, but this was the most prevalent.

He nodded, smiling, and mumbled out a soft, "Thank you."

"If you're going to stay the night, call your parents. Otherwise, have a safe trip home." She touched Midoriya's shoulder as she passed him, finally disappearing into the hallway. There was a soft, distant _click!_ of a door closing and then it was just the two of them standing in the living room.

And that was Midoriya's unspoken question, finally out in the open. Midoriya was watching him, waiting for his answer.

Shouto's mind was already made up. It had been since they'd left the market.

"I'll get us some ice cream if you start the movie," Shouto said. And Midoriya took it for what it was, tension visibly melting out of his shoulders, as he flitted about the living room, throwing pillows and blankets onto the couch.

They settled into the couch, each bundled in their own blanket, bowls of ice cream placed in their laps, mugs of hot chocolate resting on the table.

"Sorry that it's kind of chilly in here," Midoriya said, adjusting the volume on the TV so they wouldn't wake his mom back up. "My mom keeps it lower at night."

Shouto shrugged. He honestly hadn't noticed.

"Self-heating," he said, wiggling his left hand.

Midoriya laughed lightly, and burrowed deeper into his blanket.

Midoriya had turned the lights off, the TV illuminating the living room. They settled themselves a good distance apart, but the further they got into the movie, the closer they drifted together. They honestly weren't even paying attention to the movie-some recent release that Shouto vaguely remembers seeing a billboard for-and just spent the time talking. But near the end of the movie, when Shouto made a comment on the quality of the fake blood, Midoriya didn't respond.

When Shouto looked over, his heart skittered to a stop. He hadn't realized how _close_ Midoriya had gotten to him. Midoriya's head was resting on Shouto's shoulder, his eyes closed, his breathing soft and steady, tickling Shouto's ear. Shouto could see Midoriya's collarbone, freckles smattered across his chest, his T-shirt hanging loosely around his neck. Shouto swallowed thickly.

He noticed Midoriya's nose was red and he reached up to touch it with his fingertip, frowning slightly at how cold it was. Shouto warmed his left side, and he wondered if that's why Midoriya picked the left side of the couch. He smirked, reaching around Midoriya to tug his blanket up further, but froze when Midoriya started curling closer to Shouto, absorbing the heat he was emanating.

Shouto slowly sat back against the couch and watched Midoriya's face, his eyebrows twitching slightly. Shouto idly wondered what he was dreaming about.

His heartbeat slowed, matching Midoriya's breathing, and he could feel his eyelids growing heavy. The movie hadn't even finished yet, and he couldn't reach the remote on the table without waking Midoriya, so he settled farther into the couch.

Midoriya pressed his nose closer to Shouto's neck, and Shouto thought maybe he'd woken him, but Midoriya didn't move again. Shouto wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it was the most content he'd ever been, with Midoriya so close. There was a warmth in his chest that he'd never felt before, and he held onto it tightly. He was going to let himself enjoy every last second of this, and he'd deal with the storm waiting for him at home tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Warm... he was so _warm_...

Izuku couldn't remember the last time he hadn't woken chilled to the bone, considering his mom turned the heater down at night to cut costs. He never really minded-he always had a minimum of six blankets piled on his bed-but this warmth was so cozy and inviting, he never wanted to leave. He never wanted to wake up. He nuzzled deeper into his blanket, curled closer to the source of warmth-something solid, radiating a comfortable heat-and Izuku pressed his face to it. The source of heat made a contented noise, and Izuku tensed.

Izuku's eyes snapped open. He quickly replayed the events of the night in his mind, and he suddenly remembered-

He became all too aware of the feeling of Todoroki pressed so close to him, of his arm draped loosely around his shoulders. He started to sit up, trying to create some distance between him and Todoroki, but when he felt Todoroki tense, he froze. Izuku slowly looked up, his heart in his throat, but Todoroki's eyes were closed.

"Stay."

It was spoken so softly, Izuku barely caught it.

"Todoroki..." Izuku's voice wavered and he bit his tongue.

"Shouto." Again, it was so quiet Izuku had to strain to hear it. But when he registered what he'd said, his eyes widened.

"U-um..."

Todoroki- _Shouto...? -_ cracked his eyes open, gazing sleepily at Izuku.

"Call me Shouto."

Izuku swallowed thickly, and gave a small nod.

"Izuku," he said, though it wasn't more than a whisper.

Shouto closed his eyes again, letting out a small, contented sigh.

"Izuku," he said, and he smiled.

Izuku's heart-which was already slamming against his ribcage-spiked when Shouto said his name, and he found himself staring at his face. He couldn't think of a time when he'd seen him so peaceful, he tried to memorize every feature, the way his eyelashes rested against his cheeks, the warped scar tissue , his lips...

Izuku quickly looked away, his eyes flicking around the room.

Shouto made a quiet disgruntled noise. "Go back to sleep," he mumbled.

Izuku's eyes snapped back to Shouto. He panicked.

"I have to pee."

Shouto snorted and pulled his arm away. Izuku took the opportunity to leap off the couch, where Shouto grabbed the edges of his blanket and stretched across the cushions. Izuku quickly padded to the bathroom, flicked the light on and closed the door softly.

He spun to face the mirror and ran his shaking hands through his hair, staring wide-eyed at his reflection.

Todoro-no, no-Shouto was sleeping on his couch. With Izuku.

 _With me._

Izuku held his breath and counted to five.

Shouto had wanted him to _stay_ there.

He released the breath and counted to ten.

He slapped his hands against his cheeks, squeezing his eyes shut. His heartrate was calmer, still beating faster than normal, but he figured it couldn't be helped. He steadied his breathing, his hands gripping the edge of the counter, frowning at himself in the mirror.

 _"Stay."_

He wanted to-he _really_ wanted to. But he panicked, waking up with Shouto pressed against him, sleeping soundly.

And now he had to get the courage to go back into the living room. He sighed and silently cursed himself. He bumped his fist against his forehead- _idiot_ -and turned away from the mirror. He flushed the toilet- _stupid, stupid, stupid_ -a simple enough ruse, and washed his hands.

He could do this. He opened the door, wiped his hands down the front of his shirt and counted to ten before stepping into the hallway.

-x-

Shouto blinked up at the ceiling, his left hand resting where Midoriya-no, Izuku had been.

He had stopped using his left side, letting the cold seep in. He already felt it the second Izuku had all but fled from him, missing his added warmth.

Shouto frowned. He'd probably crossed a line, or many. Izuku was probably chalking up the courage to tell Shouto to leave, and that he'd see him again when school started.

He bit back a sigh and lifted his head slightly, just to hit it against the back of the couch.

He was an idiot. He was certain of that much, anyway.

Shouto was just about to get up from the couch and make his exit when the bathroom door cracked open. He quickly closed his eyes, waiting for Izuku to boot him out, but when the couch sank beside him and the room stayed quiet, he relaxed minutely.

He tensed again when izuku grabbed his hand and didn't let go. Shouto cracked one eye open and looked over at him, his breath hitching in his throat when his eyes met Izuku's.

"Is this okay?" Izuku asked.

Shouto silently nodded, swallowing thickly. Izuku nodded and looked away, contemplating. Izuku tucked his legs underneath him and then squeezed his eyes shut, as if bracing himself for something. And then he leaned over and rested his head on Shouto's shoulder, his eyes still closed.

Shouto fought down the heat rising to his cheeks, his heart in his throat.

"Is this okay?" Izuku asked again, albeit quieter this time.

"Yeah," Shouto managed to breathe out.

"Good," Izuku whispered.

Shouto was gazing down at Izuku's face, the way his eyelashes rested against his cheeks, or the freckles on his nose. He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes.

Shouto rested his cheek against the top of Izuku's head, his curls tickling his nose.

He could feel Izuku's hand squeeze his fingers a little tighter.

"Can you use your left side again?" Izuku asked quietly.

Shouto gave a small hum before activating his Quirk, and Izuku pressed closer to him.

"This is nice," Izuku said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It is," Shouto said, breathing in the faint smell of Izuku's shampoo- _apples_ -smiling despite himself.

There was a beat of silence before Izuku started tracing circles on the back of Shouto's hand with his thumb, and Shouto knew he was trying to figure out the best way to phrase what he was about to say.

"Does Endeavor know you're here?"

Shouto opened his eyes, gazing at nothing in particular.

"No."

Another beat.

"Okay."

Shouto looked back down at Izuku, but Izuku was already gazing at him.

"I'll be okay," Shouto said into Izuku's hair. He knew Izuku needed to hear it, and it sounded believable to his own ears, despite the doubt pricking at him.

Izuku nodded but didn't say anything. Instead, he lifted his head from Shouto's shoulder, still holding Shouto's gaze. Shouto felt his stomach twist, his eyes flicking down to Izuku's lips, slightly parted. Shouto sank lower into the couch, tilting his chin downwards, his forehead pressing against Izuku's.

They stayed like that for a few moments, before Izuku started inching forward, first their noses touching, then-

An alarm sounded from Izuku's mom's room and Izuku froze, his eyes wide and staring into Shouto's.

They both pulled away, resuming their earlier position. Shouto was almost positive his heart stopped beating.

When Izuku's mom opened her bedroom door, they both tensed, and it seems they made a unanimous decision to feign sleep, both closing their eyes, bodies going slack against each other.

There were muted footsteps coming from the hallway, and they abruptly stopped when Izuku's mom entered the living room. Silence dragged on, and Shouto's stomach was twisted into knots. He wanted to squirm under her gaze-if she was even looking at them, but how could she be looking anywhere else?

Finally, she let out a soft sigh, and her footsteps receded down the hallway. Shouto cracked an eye open, watching the bathroom door open and close, before slowly sitting up. They both let out a deep breath, and then looked at each other. Izuku's cheeks were stained pink, and after staring at each other for a couple of seconds, he cracked a grin and started laughing.

Shouto couldn't help it-his smile, his laugh, they were contagious, and he joined in.

Though they were probably both giddy after almost being caught, after almost...

They both trailed off into silence, and Shouto figured Izuku's thoughts had traveled down the same path. They were both settled back into the couch, and when they heard the shower being turned on, Izuku rolled his head to the side, staring at Shouto. Shouto did the same.

"Five," Izuku said.

Shouto squinted, his eyebrows knit together, before it hit him. He rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Halfway to the truth," Shouto mused, and Izuku snorted a laugh, his shoulders shaking.

Shouto smiled, and decided that if Izuku counted every time he laughed, he wouldn't mind. Because so far, four out of five had been his doing.

They fell into silence again, and listened to the distant sound of Izuku's mom getting ready for work.

And when she came back through the living room-they scrambled to feign sleep again-she planted a quick kiss to the tops of their heads on her way out the door.

At the click of the lock, Izuku stood from the couch, stretching his arms over his head.

"Breakfast?" he asked.

Shouto's stomach grumbled in response.

-x-

After a messy pancake breakfast that took too long to make-oweing to the fact that they kept trying to fry a pancake in Shouto's open palm, which only kind of worked, until he tried to flip them-they settled into the couch again, Izuku on one side, Shouto on the other. They had their legs stretched across the couch, crossed over one another.

Izuku could tell that Shouto wasn't used to this much contact, by the way he hesitated every time he reached out, or the way he would glance down at any connection Izuku made-grabbing his hand, touching his elbow, pressing his shoulder to Shouto's. But Izuku got the feeling he was _too_ used to it; he was always making some kind of connection with his friends. But it was different with Shouto. He'd never held Uraraka's hand or traced the lines of Iida's palm. So it wasn't entirely familiar to him either, but he wasn't nearly as touch starved.

It was a learning process for both of them, he supposed.

Besides that, there was a tension hanging above them that they had both chosen to ignore for the time being.

"I'm just saying," Izuku said, holding his hands out in defense, "I didn't expect that kind of response."

"You touched his _pen_ ," Shouto said, cutting his hand through the air for exaggeration. " _Bakugou's_ pen."

"I was just picking it up!" Izuku huffed, tossing his head back against the armrest. He glanced at the clock on the wall and felt a tug in his gut. He didn't know if Shouto putting off the inevitable was better or worse, but he didn't want to be the one to break their unspoken agreement.

When Izuku didn't lift his head back up, Shouto shimmied his knee, trying to get his attention.

Izuku slowly lifted his head and looked at Shouto.

"I should be leaving," Shouto finally said, keeping his eyes locked on their tangled legs.

Izuku sat bolt upright.

Shouto untangled his legs from Izuku's and stood.

"I'll, uh..." Izuku dragged himself off of the couch and turned his face away from Shouto. "I'll walk you to the station."

Unlike the last time they had walked to the station together, quiet and each trying to figure out what to say, the conversation flowed easily. Whatever barrier they had between them had been knocked down in the last twenty-four hours, instead replaced by a simple comfort.

"Uraraka and I had been wanting to do movie nights," Izuku started, tugging his scarf away from his mouth.

"Like a whole sleepover type thing?" Shouto asked.

Izuku nodded enthusiastically, waving his hand around for emphasis. "We could get the whole dorm in the common area, sleeping bags and popcorn and everything," he said. His smile faltered a bit. "Do we need Aizawa's permission to do that?"

Shouto shrugged. "Probably," he said. "But he'd say it's a waste of time so I wouldn't bother."

"Yeah, but if we fall asleep..." Izuku frowned.

"Then we fall asleep," Shouto said. He smirked. "You said it was like a 'sleepover thing.'"

"We _could_ get in trouble for that, though," Izuku said. "They have designated dorms for a reason."

"What's the worst he could do?" Shouto asked, rolling his eyes slightly. "Expel us?"

Izuku snorted. "I know he hasn't yet, but he's known for doing that."

"Emphasis on yet," Shouto pointed out.

Izuku laughed lightly, his shoulder bumping Shouto's.

They tried to keep the mood light, ignoring the cloud hanging low above them, but all too soon, the station came into view.

They sat on a bench and waited, their shoulders pressed together.

"Thank you," Shouto said quietly, gazing down at his hands.

Izuku hummed and knocked their knees together. "You could stay. I know you won't, but you could."

Shouto didn't respond, but he gave a small nod.

Izuku gave him a small smile. He wondered if Shouto's stomach was as twisted as his, or if his chest was as painfully tight.

Shouto sat up slightly, and Izuku looked up. Shouto blinked and pinched the fabric of the sweatshirt he was wearing.

"I forgot I was wearing this," he mumbled, and he grabbed the end of the sweatshirt and started to tug it up. "Here-"

Izuku placed his hand on Shouto's. "Keep it," he said.

Shouto frowned. "Yeah, but-"

"It looks better on you, anyways," Izuku said. He sat back and rested his shoulder against Shouto's again. He considered it a small victory when he refrained from saying that he liked Shouto wearing his clothes.

They sat in silence, and Izuku was positive that despite the cool expression on Shouto's face, that he was just as anxious. The atmosphere they were creating, gripped with anxiety, was stifling and Izuku was about to jump off the bench and start pacing before a crackling voice over the intercom announced the train's arrival.

Shouto tensed ever so slightly. He stood and Izuku watched him for a moment, before Shouto glanced down at him.

Izuku pushed himself up and they stepped towards the platform. Izuku shivered slightly as the train pulled in, the sharp draft of wind cutting right through his jacket.

Shouto's hand brushed against his, and Izuku reached out with his fingers, but then the doors slid open and Shouto stepped away, leaving Izuku on the platform by himself.

The intercom announced that the train was departing, but Izuku only barely registered what it had said. When Shouto turned, giving Izuku a small smile, something coursed through him, striking straight through his chest. And then the doors slid shut, and Izuku couldn't remember a time he felt more lost than when he watched the train round the bend, disappearing from sight.


	7. Chapter 7

When Izuku got home from the train station, he locked himself in his room and burrowed under his blankets, his phone clutched tightly in his hand like a lifeline. He tried not to bombard Shouto with texts, but the fear and anxiety gnawed at his stomach and sent his mind reeling.

 _Can you let me know when you get home?_

Shouto hadn't responded. Izuku waited, figuring maybe he just hadn't checked his phone when he got home. Or maybe he was confronted by Endeavor and something happened and-

Izuku squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. He couldn't let his mind wander, not with this.

He unlocked his phone and sent another text.

 _Everything good?_

Simple enough, and if Shouto hadn't seen the first, he'd see this one for sure. Right?

But five minutes, ten minutes, twenty, thirty, no response.

Izuku called his phone. Straight to voicemail.

Maybe he was taking a nap. Shouto took naps, right?

Izuku waited five minutes before calling again-and, again, straight to his voicemail.

He rolled over onto his stomach and stared at his texts, left unread. The image of Shouto smiling at him before the doors closed flashed in his mind and his heartrate spiked.

He called again, sighing in frustration when he heard the generic voicemail.

Shouto was okay, he told himself. He's okay. Maybe he's just out for a run or his phone died or he's in the shower.

He started making a list of all the things Shouto could be doing instead of returning his calls or texts.

It only kind of distracted him but mostly it made him more frustrated, the anxiety spiking into his chest, his heart beating rapidly in his ears.

One more time, he'd call _one_ more time, and then he's hopping on the next train.

Izuku pressed his phone to his ear, his hands clenched tight. When he heard the voicemail again, he sat bolt upright, tossing his blanket aside.

He practically sprinted out of his room, rushing down the hallway. As he slipped his shoes on and grabbed his backpack, he sent a quick, last-minute text to his mom:

 _Went to Todoroki's. See you soon_

-x-

When Shouto stepped through the front door, he could immediately sense the tension in the air, like the calm before a storm. He hung his backpack by the door and slipped off his shoes, padding quietly through the hallway towards the stairs.

As he passed by the large dining room entryway, he paused. Sitting at the head of the table, his back to Shouto, was Enji, his shoulders squared. His flames were burning low, warm orange light bouncing around the dimly lit room.

"Sit," was all he said.

Shouto bit back a retort and instead moved into the dining room, taking his time to quietly walk to the other end of the dining table. And maybe he shouldn't have tried to be so petty, with his father quietly fuming, but he made a point to stand beside the chair at the opposite end of the table. Enji's scowl deepened, his mouth pressed in a thin line.

Shouto bit the inside of his cheek, waiting.

"I told you not to leave," Enji said, his voice low.

Shouto knew he should feel afraid on some level, but he just felt tired. Exhausted. He wasn't done fighting but he wanted to be.

"You did," was all Shouto said.

Enji placed his hands on the table in front of him, his palms searing marks into the ornate wood.

"You were gone all night," Enji said, clenching his fists, "and you missed your training this morning."

Shouto didn't respond. Enji hadn't asked him anything directly, more or less, so he didn't feel the need to speak.

Enji's flames flickered, and he pushed himself up from the table. "I'm sick of your attitude," he growled, towering over Shouto even from across the table, "I'm _sick_ of your complacency."

Shouto lifted an eyebrow and leaned against the table. "I came here for my break to train," he said, his voice sounding far more confident than he felt. "So far, I've spent most of my time waiting for you to come home." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're wasting my time."

Blood rushed in his ears, trepidation settling over him, his pulse racing. Enji stared down at him, his expression unreadable.

After what seemed like an eternity, Enji opened his mouth to speak.

"You want to train at my agency," he said plainly, his tone contemplative.

Shouto blinked. "More or less," he said.

Enji folded his arms over his chest, contemplating Shouto. "You already have. When you receive your provisional license, then you can join me there again."

Shouto opened his mouth to speak, but Enji held his hand up. He closed his mouth with a click, waiting.

"Wherever you were last night, whatever you were doing," Enji started, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, "I was worried."

Shouto blanched, staring wide-eyed at his father. At the man who had never expressed concern over his well-being, at the man-the monster-who had ruined his childhood and separated him from his mother. At the man who pushed him to the breaking point and still demanded more.

"Never again," his father said, his tone taking a much sharper edge. "If you ever-"

"You're lying," Shouto said, his eyes suddenly widening.

Enji stared, and then his expression darkened. He stepped closer, looming over Shouto, everything from his posture to his expression was hostile.

Shouto stood to his full height, squaring his shoulders, gritting his teeth. He wasn't trying to match his father's energy-he'd never be able to, he knew that-he was trying to counter it, find his own strength and fling it back at him.

Neither of them moved, neither said a word. The tension between them was swelled to bursting, and Shouto knew if he didn't strike first, then-

Enji's arm shot out, reaching for Shouto. He pushed the chair beside him forward, between them, and dodged to the side. But as Enji's fist smashed the chair to pieces, the flames enveloping his arm grazed Shouto's shoulder, singing the fabric of his sweatshirt.

Before Enji could strike again, Shouto leapt forward, vaulting over the table, trying to keep a barrier between them. And then he activated his Quirk, a thin layer of ice mapping its way across the floor, the table, climbing up the walls. The further it grew, the thicker it became, icicles forming on the ceiling, wrapping around and engulfing the chandelier overhead, thin as needles. Shouto left a wide arc around Enji, though he was sure his flames were keeping it at bay.

"Don't pretend to care now," Shouto said, his voice low. He suddenly noticed the significant drop in temperature, the puffs of mist escaping his lips. "And don't pretend to be something you're not."

Enji's flames grew a little higher, burned a little hotter. But he didn't say a word. He studied Shouto, his expression almost thoughtful.

Shouto opened his mouth to speak again, but almost choked on his words when the doorbell rang, echoing through the house.

-x-

Izuku had his gaze forced on the ground, one crooked finger hovering over the doorbell. He was silently cursing his damned hero complex while simultaneously praying that he got the right address when he heard the distinct _click!_ of the door being unlocked.

He snapped his head up and swallowed thickly, fighting down waves of anxiety and trying to steady his heartbeat-which hadn't slowed since he sprinted from the station.

The door opened, just a crack, and there was an audible gasp. Izuku's heart lodged in his throat when he looked up to find Shouto staring owlishly at him from the crack in the door, his mouth opening and closing, trying to find something to say.

"You didn't answer your phone," Izuku blurted before catching his bottom lip between his teeth, trying to silence himself.

Shouto threw a quick glance over his shoulder before slowly looking back at Izuku.

"I literally just got home," Shouto said, his voice hushed. "I would've called sooner but I was visiting my mom."

Izuku's eyes widened with realization. "I'm-" he started, but Shouto shook his head sharply.

"I'm glad you came, actually, but-" Shouto stopped himself, pressing his mouth into a thin line.

And then Izuku heard the approaching footsteps.

"It's just a friend from school," Shouto sighed, exasperated.

The door was yanked open, and Izuku had to crane his neck back to stare into the eyes of Endeavor, the Number Two Hero.

If he hadn't known who this man was or what he'd done, he might've asked for an autograph.

But now it was like a switch had been flipped, and Izuku felt that hatred course through him again.

"Nice to meet you," Izuku said, his voice tight, his expression far from friendly.

He could feel Shouto's eyes on him, urging him to _shut up_ , but he didn't care. He squared his shoulders and stood to his fullest height.

Endeavor simply gazed at him, his face hard set.

"You should leave," he said, a sharp edge to his voice. "Call before barging into someone's home."

"I rang the doorbell, actually," Izuku said simply.

At the sharp glint in Endeavor's eye, Izuku felt a pang of fear in his gut. But it wasn't lost on him that Endeavor cared too much about his image, that Izuku had been broadcast on live television across the country. If anything, he was untouchable.

And on the off chance that he wasn't, he had the Number One Hero on speed-dial.

But Endeavor simply sniffed, turning his back on them.

"Shouto," he said over his shoulder, casting a glare in Izuku's direction. "I expect to see you at five AM sharp. Don't be late."

Shouto stared after his father, watching him leave. When he finally turned, his shoulders sagged, and he blinked at Izuku, his face blank.

Shouto ushered him outside, quietly closing the door behind them.

He was quiet for a moment, simply staring at Izuku.

"Uh," Izuku said.

"I don't know _what_ that was," Shouto said, turning his focus on the front door of his home, "but it's thanks to you."

Izuku swallowed. "Is that good or bad or...?"

"Good," Shouto said, quickly nodding. "Definitely good."

Izuku let out a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. "Great. Because I probably should've watched my mouth or-"

"No," Shouto said, and he gave Izuku a small smile. Izuku snapped his mouth shut. "I think you did just fine."

Izuku returned his smile, and opened his mouth to say something else-but stopped when something caught his eye.

"What happened?" Izuku asked, his hand reaching for Shouto's shoulder, his eyes glued to the singed fabric.

Shouto followed his gaze, pouting in confusion. "What? Oh." His eyes widened slightly, and he nodded. "That's new."

"Yeah, I don't think I gave you a burned sweatshirt," Izuku said, frowning.

Shouto met his gaze, reaching up to tug Izuku's hand off of his shoulder; it didn't go unnoticed that he held the connection, and Izuku silently cursed as heat rushed to his cheeks, staining them red.

"It's okay," Shouto said, giving Izuku's fingers a light squeeze before letting them go.

Izuku's hand fell heavy at his side. "It's not."

" _I'm_ okay," Shouto reiterated, turning to face Izuku completely. "Nothing happened."

Izuku's eyebrows pulled together, disbelieving.

"Okay, _something_ happened," Shouto said, stuffing his hands in the pockets of the sweatshirt. "He was ticked when I got back, and blew up." At Izuku's look, he tacked on, "He didn't actually blow up."

"So, what happened?" Izuku asked, forcing his gaze on Shouto's face instead of the burned fabric. The image of the bruises on Shouto's arms flashed in his mind and chills snaked across his skin. "Before I showed up."

Shouto glanced to the side. "You showed up before anything actually happened," he said, his voice quiet. "I may or may not have called him out, though."

"On what?" Izuku pressed.

Shouto lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "Being a shit dad."

Izuku blinked.

Shouto was quiet, then, and didn't try to meet Izuku's gaze.

Izuku watched him, his eyes flicking from his scar to the burned sweatshirt, something rising in his chest, swelling like a balloon.

"Stay with me," he blurted, taking a step towards Shouto.

Shouto tensed, his heterochromatic eyes meeting Izuku's, unblinking.

"Shouto, you can't stay here," Izuku said, gripped by a sudden sense of urgency. "At least not by yourself."

Shouto's eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent, his mouth pressed into a hard line.

"If you stay," Izuku started, his voice growing softer; he reached out and gingerly wrapped his crooked fingers around Shouto's wrist. "This is going to get worse." He gazed at his scarred hand, his heartbeat like a steady drum in his ears.

Shouto relaxed minutely, his wrist going slack in Izuku's grip.

Izuku looked up to find Shouto staring at him, thoughtful.

"I know," he finally said.

They were quiet for a few short moments before Shouto reached up with his other hand to gently pry Izuku's fingers free. Again, he held the connection.

"I'll just go back to the dorms early-"

"I'll go with you," Izuku said, probably too quickly.

Shouto's head shot up. "But your mom-"

"She'll be fine," he said with a flippant wave. "Remember what I said? I didn't want you to be alone for your whole break."

Shouto's eyebrows pulled together. "I haven't been. But you don't have to go back early just because of me."

"I know," Izuku said.

Shouto contemplated Izuku, idly running his thumb over Izuku's twisted knuckle.

"We can leave tomorrow morning," Izuku said, staring down at their hands. "Break's almost over anyways."

"You're okay with that?" Shouto asked.

Izuku looked up, then, and smiled.

"Yeah," he said.

"Sorry," Shouto said, and it almost seemed like a knee-jerk reaction. Izuku's chest tightened.

"For what?" Izuku asked.

Shouto was quiet for a moment, and then he let go of Izuku's hand, taking a small step back.

"Making you worry," he said.

Izuku stared. "Shouto," he said, and at his tone, Shouto looked up. "When you left, it took everything in me not to jump on the train with you."

Shouto blinked, his lips parting in surprise.

Izuku took a short breath before pressing on. "And when you didn't answer your phone, I couldn't talk myself out of coming over here just to make sure you were okay."

Shouto simply stared, waiting.

"You don't need to apologize for other people worrying about you," Izuku said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could even process what he was saying. "If I'm worried, it's because I care about you."

As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, Izuku felt the urge to be embarrassed, expected the blood to rush to his face. But almost simultaneously the realization dawned on him that he didn't need to be embarrassed for his confession, because it already seemed like they were past that point, anyways. Just mere seconds ago, they were holding hands. Last night, they had been _so close_ , their noses touching.

Izuku felt the sudden urge to wrap his arms around Shouto, then, and never let him go.

Shouto, on the other hand, was still staring, wide-eyed. The faintest hint of red colored his cheeks.

"I'll-uh," Shouto sputtered, the red in his cheeks going a few shades darker. "I'll go get my stuff."


	8. Chapter 8

Shouto set the empty mugs in the sink, filling them with soapy water before heading back to the living room, turning the lights off in the kitchen.

Izuku had a bundle of blankets in his arms, waiting. When he saw Shouto, he nodded his head towards the hallway; Shouto followed silently.

Izuku shouldered his bedroom door open-Shouto couldn't help but smile at the All Might plaque-but paused before letting Shouto in.

"Just... don't say anything," he said with a dejected sigh, pushing the door wide open with his foot and flicking the light on with his elbow.

Shouto stared, amused but not entirely surprised.

All Might's number one fan threw up all over this room, he thought. He slowly looked around, and then tilted his head towards Izuku.

"How much All Might stuff do you _own?_ " he asked, thinking back to Izuku's dorm at UA, equally decked out in All Might merchandise.

Izuku was frowning at the ground and mumbled something like, "A lot."

Shouto snorted, then, taking the blankets from Izuku.

"So you're sure it's okay that I sleep in here?" he asked, throwing the blanket out across the floor next to Izuku's bed.

Izuku nodded, clambering onto his bed and tossing a couple of pillows onto the floor. "Yeah, it's cool." He sat back on his knees, tilting his head side to side. "I set the alarm, our bags are by the door already... am I forgetting anything?" He rolled his head back to look at Shouto.

Shouto took a seat at Izuku's desk, scanning over its contents. "Sounds good to me." His attention was caught by a notebook, blackened with soot and covered in dark stains. He picked it up, flipping it over in his hands. He could only guess what happened to it.

Izuku, distracted by making the beds, finally looked up; when he saw what Shouto was holding, he dropped his hands to his knees, his expression guarded.

"Kacchan did that," Izuku said.

Shouto knew that already, but just hearing it set his teeth on edge. He made to open it but stopped himself.

"What's in here?" he asked instead.

Izuku shrugged lightly. "Just pro-hero information," he explained, his tone dismissive. "I used to document all the attributes of their Quirks, like weaknesses and strengths and stuff like that."

Shouto's gaze slowly travelled from the notebook to Izuku and it seemed like things just clicked into place. It suddenly explained so much about him, and Shouto couldn't help himself; he flicked the notebook open.

As he leafed through the pages, scanning over its contents-some illegible due to water stains-he grew more and more impressed and slightly confused at the amount of information Izuku had gathered. He stopped when he reached a page about halfway through, the entirety of which was taken up by All Might's signature.

He hadn't noticed that Izuku had come to stand beside him, reading over his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah," he said, a soft smile spreading across his face, his tone reminiscent. "That happened right after the sludge villain."

Shouto quirked an eyebrow, looking up at Izuku. "The one that got Bakugou?"

Izuku nodded distractedly, reaching out to touch the page. "Before that, though," he said, gingerly taking the notebook from Shouto. "All Might signed it right after he rescued me-" He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening, his mouth becoming a hard line.

Shouto frowned, searching Izuku's face. "What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes flicking back down to the notebook. "I thought-"

Izuku tossed the notebook back onto the desk and stretched his arms over his head, yawning too dramatically for it to be real. "Anyways," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and patting the space beside him, "we should probably go to bed-"

Shouto's eyes slowly widened, and he jumped to his feet. " _That's_ how you're connected to All Might," he said, his voice too loud in the silence of the room.

Izuku snapped his mouth shut, watching Shouto.

Shouto met his gaze. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Izuku was quiet, staring down at his lap, flexing his right hand absentmindedly.

"And... you even went to save Bakugou," Shouto said, taking a step closer to Izuku. "After the villain attacked you?"

Izuku didn't look up, but clenched his right hand into a fist.

Shouto sat on the bed beside him, searching his face.

Neither of them said anything, the silence stretching into minutes.

But when Izuku finally did look up, meeting Shouto's gaze, he looked determined.

"There are things I want to tell you," he said, his eyes shining. "And I will. Just... just give me time. Okay?"

Shouto blinked, and he dropped his gaze to Izuku's right hand.

"Okay," he said.

Shouto expected them to fall back into silence, but instead Izuku pushed himself to his feet, heading for the door.

"I'm going to get ready for bed," he said, quietly pulling the door open.

Shouto watched him leave, his head spinning. He stood from the bed and knelt down to dig around in his backpack. He fished his toothbrush out of the bag, stood up straight, and gazed around the room.

He didn't know what to make of what had just happened, but he didn't want the rest of the night to be spent with the tension hanging over them.

He wouldn't pry, he decided, not tonight, despite how many questions were piling up in his head like a train wreck.

Izuku returned a few minutes later, leaving the door open a crack. "Bathroom's all yours," he said.

Shouto left the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet _click!_

The apartment was silent, save for the muffled sound of his footsteps.

It was almost surreal, he thought, being here again even though it had only been less than twelve hours since the last time he'd been.

He made quick work brushing his teeth, returning to Izuku's room quickly. He closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, dropped his toothbrush back into his bag, and turned to find Izuku stretched out on Shouto's blanket.

"What are you doing?" he asked, keeping his voice to a whisper.

Izuku rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "There's no way you're sleeping on the floor."

"I'm not sleeping in your _bed_ ," Shouto said. The thought made heat rise to his cheeks.

Izuku rolled his eyes, dropping his chin in his upraised hand. "It's fine," he said, reaching up to pat the mattress. At Shouto's look, he pushed himself into a sitting position. "You're a guest. Just sleep in my bed. I swear, if you ever sleep over again, you'll be on the floor."

Shouto let out a short sigh, flicked the light off, and tentatively climbed onto Izuku's bed.

"I hate this," he muttered, wiggling under the covers and dropping his head back onto the pillow.

"Oh, well," Izuku sighed, laying back down.

Shouto pulled the covers up to his nose and breathed in deep-and with a jolt realized how strongly the comforters smelled of Izuku.

It was comforting, but heat rose to his face, all the same. He scooted to the edge of the bed, glancing down at Izuku.

After a few moments silence, Shouto mumbled out a quiet, "Thanks."

"No problem," Izuku said, yawning. He smiled and closed his eyes, his cheek resting against his arm.

The room went silent, then, and Shouto thought maybe Izuku had fallen asleep.

But then Shouto could hear the sound of Izuku rolling over and when he looked down, Izuku was staring at him.

"Shouto," he said quietly.

"Yeah?" Shouto asked, his heartbeat starting to quicken.

"I'm glad this week happened," Izuku said, tearing his gaze away from Shouto's. "I'm glad you let me in."

Shouto stared. These were words that could only be said in the dark of night, between asleep and awake. Izuku wouldn't be able to say them, otherwise, Shouto was sure of it.

But suddenly, Izuku's words from earlier rang loud and clear in his head:

 _"If I'm worried, it's because I care about you."_

Shouto swallowed, nodding. "Me, too," he said, for lack of better words.

Izuku smiled, closing his eyes again. "Good night."

Shouto gazed at him for a beat too long before saying, "Good night."

-x-

Izuku blinked himself awake, disoriented, rolling over to peek at the alarm clock on his nightstand. He bit his tongue, silencing himself, when he knocked his head against said nightstand.

He sat up, whirling his head around to stare at it, before realizing where he was. He was still in his room, just on a much lower level.

He glanced to his bed, to Shouto's sleeping form-lips slightly parted, one arm hanging over the side, hair sticking up every which way-and breathed a small sigh.

He lay back down, Shouto's hand dangling above his head. He gazed through Shouto's fingers at the glow-in-the-dark stickers, thinking about nothing in particular besides the fact that the alarm was scheduled to go off in twenty minutes, when Shouto's hand twitched.

Izuku looked over to see Shouto, who had been sleeping peacefully just moments before, turn his head into the pillow, his eyebrows furrowed, breathing heavy.

Izuku reached out, twining his fingers with Shouto's, shaking his hand gently.

"Hey," he whispered.

Shouto didn't open his eyes, but he calmed down somewhat, his hand relaxing in Izuku's.

Izuku dropped his head back against the pillow, and was about to release Shouto's hand, when it suddenly grew warm to the touch.

Izuku's eyes widened slightly and he looked over to see Shouto gazing sleepily at the connection.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Did I wake you?"

Izuku gave his fingers a slight squeeze. "No," he said. "I, uh, hit my head against the nightstand."

Shouto snorted, rolling over to stretch his arms over his head, letting go of Izuku's hand in the process. "Shouldn't have slept on the floor."

Izuku didn't say anything to that, instead he propped himself up on his elbow, dropping his chin into his hand, staring up at Shouto.

"What?" Shouto asked, meeting his gaze.

Izuku wiggled his fingers in the direction of his own hair, a grin spreading across his face. "Your bed-head," he said.

Shouto reached up to touch his hair, trapping a few red strands between his fingers, tugging lightly. "That bad, huh?"

"I'm one to talk," Izuku said. He reached up to drag his fingers through his own hair, giving up the second he met resistance.

"It looks the same," Shouto said, squinting through the darkness.

Izuku blanched. "I have to brush it, like, three times before I leave the house," he said.

Shouto let out a small laugh, and Izuku smiled.

"You know what?" Izuku asked, sitting up, kicking his blanket away.

Shouto turned his head to look at him. "Hmm?"

"Six," Izuku said, holding up six fingers.

Shouto gave him a slight eye roll, tugging the blanket up to his nose. He didn't say anything, and Izuku knew he was thinking about earlier, the notebook and how Izuku had almost spilled his biggest secret.

Because now Shouto knew about his connection with All Might-not the whole truth, but enough to get a vague grasp.

But as he watched Shouto, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he told him the truth. Maybe not in the immediate future, but soon enough.

And while the thought made him nervous, it made him excited, and hopeful, too. Though he couldn't figure out why.

"Izuku?"

Shouto's soft voice broke Izuku's train of thought, and he blinked.

"Yeah?"

Shouto was quiet for a moment, and then rolled over to look at the ceiling.

"Thanks."

Izuku lifted an eyebrow. "What for?"

Again, Shouto was quiet. Izuku didn't press him, and instead followed his example, laying back against his pillow.

They both stared at the ceiling, the faintly glowing green stickers, wrapped in silence.

"This," Shouto finally said, and Izuku could hear the smile in his voice.

"Oh," Izuku said. He glanced over at Shouto, eyes closed and smiling; it was a small smile, but it was noticeable enough even in the dark of his room. Izuku's chest tightened. "You're welcome."

Shouto gave a small hum, but didn't say anything else. And they stayed like that until the alarm chirped, and his mom came knocking on the door.

"Izuku!" She popped the door open, flooding the room with light from the hallway. "Oh, good, you're up!"

"G'Morning," they said in unison, squinting.

"What do you boys want for breakfast?" she asked, flicking the bedroom light on.

Izuku scrubbed his hands over his eyes. "I dunno. What d'you feel like?"

Shouto, still squinting, sat up and stretched his arms over his head. "Pancakes," he exhaled, his hands dropping to his lap.

Izuku snorted and then looked at his mom. "Pancakes?"

"Pancakes it is," she said, disappearing into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

"Have I ever told you," Shouto started, falling back against the pillows, "that I love your mom?"

Izuku pushed himself to his feet, stretching out his back with a groan. He grabbed the edge of Shouto's blanket, and with a flick of his wrists, flung it to the other side of the bed.

"Yes," he said, patting Shouto's knee. "Now get up."

Shouto threw an arm over his face, sighing deeply. "I'm up."

" _Up_ up," Izuku said. He grabbed Shouto's hand and started dragging him to the edge of the bed. "C'mon, we gotta get ready or we'll miss the train."

Shouto allowed himself to be dragged from the bed, landing heavily on the floor.

" _Shouto_ ," Izuku groaned, dropping Shouto's hands.

"I'm _up_ ," Shouto said into the floor.

"Just get dressed," Izuku said.

"You know," Shouto said, pushing himself up into a sitting position, "I'm usually a morning person."

Izuku gave him a flat look. "Could've fooled me." He grabbed Shouto's bag from the floor and tossed it in his direction.

They each took their turn in the bathroom, getting dressed and brushing their teeth, and soon enough they were all gathered around the table.

"You packed all of your books?" Izuku's mom asked, pointing the spatula between the two of them, quirking an eyebrow.

Shouto, his mouth full of pancake, nodded curtly.

"Yeah," Izuku said, reaching across the table for the syrup.

"Toothbrush?" she asked, dropping a few more pancakes on each of their plates.

Shouto nodded again.

"And toothpaste," Izuku supplied, drowning his plate.

She finally sat down, pulling a plate towards her. She propped her chin in her hand and watched them eat.

"I'm going to miss you guys," she said, smiling sadly.

"We're ten minutes by train," Izuku said around a mouthful of pancake.

Shouto gazed between the two of them, silent.

"I know, I know," she said, sighing. She grabbed the syrup bottle, tipping it over her plate. "It'll just be kind of lonely."

Shouto swallowed down his food. "We'll visit," he blurted, his face determined.

Izuku's lips parted in surprise. "We will?"

Shouto blinked at him. "Yes."

"You will?" Izuku's mom asked, her expression mirroring her son's.

"Of course," Shouto said, as if it wasn't obvious.

Izuku's mom was beaming, and started chattering away about everything they could do when they visited next. Izuku met Shouto's gaze and gave him a warm smile.

When their plates were empty and their stomachs were full-Izuku had lost count of just how many pancakes Shouto had eaten-they gathered all of their dishes, rinsing them quickly in the sink.

Izuku's mom, one eye on the clock, quickly ushered them towards the door.

"Hurry up, hurry up! The train will be here in ten minutes!" She grabbed Shouto's scarf from the hook by the door and threw it around his neck. "And don't forget-!"

"We'll call when we get to the school," Izuku cut in, ducking his head to give her a peck on the cheek. He had his suitcase in one hand, his other gripping the strap of his yellow backpack.

"Alright, alright," she said, wrapping Izuku in a tight hug. She grabbed Shouto's shoulder and pulled him forward into the embrace. She gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek before breaking the group hug and shoving them out the door. "Have fun at school! And be safe!"

Shouto followed Izuku out of the building, and when their feet hit the pavement, he took a deep breath, the cold air chilling his lungs.

"I think my mom adopted you," Izuku said, tilting his head towards Shouto.

Shouto hummed in response. "If she made me pancakes everyday, I'd let her."

Izuku snorted. His eyes caught on the singed fabric on Shouto's shoulder, and his jaw tightened.

"Do you think Aizawa's going to make us train?" Izuku asked, forcing his gaze on the sidewalk ahead, trying to keep his tone light.

"Or give us homework," Shouto sighed. "Although, we'd have the facilities to ourselves. That'd be interesting."

Izuku glanced at Shouto, who was gazing at the sky, his expression thoughtful. He idly wondered if he was thinking back to the Festival, and remembering the carnage they alone had caused.

Shouto tilted his head to the side, then, and met Izuku's gaze.

"One hell of a clean-up," Shouto said, and the corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile.

"It was mostly you," Izuku said, snorting. "I dealt most of the damage," he held up his right hand, "here."

Shouto's gaze lingered on Izuku's crooked fingers. "It doesn't bother you?"

Izuku lowered his hand, staring at his open palm. "I don't think so. It probably should." He curled his hand into a fist, the tight pull of the scar tissue still alien to him. "I guess it's more of a reminder."

"Of what?" Shouto asked, watching him.

Izuku let his hand fall to his side, and smiled. "How far I've got to go."

Shouto looked at the sidewalk ahead, at the train station in the distance.

"That's one way to look at it," he said.

They fell silent, then, and when they reached the train platform, gazing down the tracks, Shouto reached out and twined his fingers with Izuku's crooked ones.

-x-

The common area was empty, quiet, and cold. They had turned the heater on, but so far, it had done little to stave off the chill of an entire building being empty for almost a week.

They had instead built a cocoon, of sorts, on the couch-a mound of blankets, trapping them inside.

Shouto was using his left side, circulating the heap of blankets with a comfortable warmth; they each had their hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, and in the background, an old cartoon movie was playing, though it had just faded into background noise.

Up to this point, they had been talking nonstop, but the warmth surrounding them and the comfort of laying against each other had cast a sort of hazy spell, and they were both fighting to keep their eyes open.

Izuku set his mug aside, allowing him to more comfortably rest against Shouto's left side.

"I know your Quirk is super powerful and stuff," he said, his words dragging, slightly slurred, "but I think this is the best it's gonna get."

"Just wait until summer," Shouto said, resting his cheek against the top of Izuku's head, his curls tickling his nose.

"My own personal AC," Izuku mumbled, his eyes slipping shut.

Shouto snorted a laugh, and followed Izuku's example, letting his eyes close.

Izuku mumbled something, then, but Shouto couldn't quite catch it.

"Mm?" he hummed into Izuku's hair.

Izuku lifted his chin a little, so his voice wouldn't be muffled by the blankets.

"Seven," he said.

Shouto slowly opened his eyes, and he looked down at Izuku's freckled nose. Izuku's breathing grew slow and steady, and the rhythm of it was lulling Shouto to sleep. Shouto nestled back into the couch, letting his eyes slip shut again, the smell of apples filling his nose.

He didn't know when he finally dozed off, but somewhere in that golden haze between asleep and awake, where everything was comfortable and warm and surreal, he found himself mumbling into Izuku's hair:

"I care about you, too."


End file.
